The Flirting War
by CSOncer
Summary: Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy have hated each other since their first year at Hogwarts. But this year, weird things have happened. Scorpius has started flirting with Rose, they are both Head Boy and Head Girl, which means they have to share a common room, and Rose makes a deal with Scorpius that could change her life. Let the Flirting War begin!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Alice!" I shouted across platform 9 and 3/4. I hurriedly dropped my bags down, knowing that my cute little brother (he hates it when i say things like that) Hugo would pick them up and load them on to the train for me.

"Rosie!" I saw the face of my best friend (Alice Longbottom II) light up. She dropped her bags as well, and we both ran at each other, and embraced.

"It's been too long!" I shouted, trying to make her hear me over the loud noise on the platform.

"I know! Bloody parents! They just don't realize that when their daughter turns 17, she isn't interested in wandering around France." She complained about her life.

"Oh come on! It must have been fascinating! I was just stuck at home with my cousins."

"Wait," she stopped suddenly and turned to me, "Did he bring...him over?"

I didn't even need her to say the names for me to understand. I knew that she was talking about my cousin Albus, and I knew that by 'him' she meant Scorpius Malfoy.

"Yes, Al did bring _him_ over," I said, mocking her, "And of course it was bloody terrible. But honestly, what do you expect from us?" I continued pulling her along.

Scorpius Malfoy. My cousin's best friend. The crush of about half of the girls in Hogwarts. My sworn enemy.

There wasn't a time that I could remember of my life in Hogwarts that didn't involve Malfoy and I arguing, mocking, pranking, teasing, injuring, insulting, and...well, I hope you get the idea. Every time we walked down the hall, we couldn't help but throw some rude comment at each other. When we _really_ got into a fight, you didn't want to be around.

I hated him to begin with because my father had, in a way, set me against him. I could remember the first day of first year, when dad had told me to not get too friendly with him, and to beat him at every test. Naturally, I attempted to do just that, since I was just that kind of goody two shoes, who listens to anything her parents say. The thing was that, when I was 11, I had thought he was could be nice. Then, after the first week, I knew that I had been wrong. From the moment I first talked to him, he never once gave me a reason to get 'friendly' with him. So I didn't. At all. Now, it has gotten to the point that I consider him a conceded, pompous, arrogant, rude jerk. That is how it has been for the last six years of my life, and I don't expect this year to be any different.

Unfortunately, though I have many cousins, I am closest with Albus, the only one who is the same age as me. Albus just happens to be best mates with Malfoy. Happy happy, joy joy (note the sarcasm). For some stupid reason, Al finds the fights between Malfoy and me absolutely hilarious. Therefore, he went out of his way to create them. Almost every day during the summer, the Potters would come to our house, we would go to the Potters house, or we would have one giant Weasley/Potter party at the burrow. At almost all of these occasions, Al had brought Malfoy along with him. Once we were in the same house together, it wasn't hard to start a fight. Malfoy and I took care of that, while Al sat in the room and watched us, nearly laughing himself to death.

Alice seemed to think that Malfoy was attractive, which he totally wasn't. Not at all. Not even a little bit...anyways, I don't know where she got that idea. She always agreed with me that he was a jerk, but couldn't help herself to staring at him once in a while. When I had written her over the summer, and told her how often I saw him, she wrote back talking about how jealous she was. I wrote back telling her that I would gladly switch places with her, because I would do anything to get that stupid pompous jerk out of my min-

"Weasley."

This voice helped bring me out of my daze, but I still groaned. This was a voice I knew only too well. I whipped around to the face of Malfoy, with a stupid smirk and blonde hair. He was standing a little closer than I had expected. When I turned my head, I accidentally hit him in the face with my hair. Oops. Oh well.

"Malfoy," I smirked at him, as he winced in pain. I think I might have hit him in the eye. Not waiting for him to say another word, I turned around. Now, I noticed that the spot where I had left my bags was empty.

"Hugo!" I shouted, and my brother appeared at my side, almost immediately.

"Yes, Rosie Posie?" he smiled innocently up at me. My brother, the textbook definition of adorable on the outside, and the devil on the inside.

"Did you already put my stuff on the train?"

He smirked, but then looked up at me. "Of course I did Rosie! What kind of amazing brother would I be if I hadn't?" He turned around, without another word. I felt like there was something I didn't know. I turned around, and saw two things.

1) Alice looking at me with a pitying expression, because she knew my brother well enough to know that he must have done something bad.

2) Malfoy, smirking at me, and I knew that he was holding in peals of laughter.

"What are you so happy about Malfoy?" I asked his suspiciously. "Do you know what he did with my bags?"

He looked me in the eye, and then got really close to my face. For some reason, I blushed furiously whenever he got close to me. I didn't like him, so I seriously have no idea why I did it. Also, thanks to my pale skin and red hair, it was painfully obvious when I blushed, and I always got _very _red. Everybody who saw me with him knew that, including the idiot himself. He found it hilarious, because every time I blushed I refused to meet his eye, which made it easy for him to tease me. So naturally, the moment he came up close to me, I looked away.

"Oh, I have no idea where he put your bags Weasley," he was so close now that he was whispering in my ear, a mocking tone in his voice. "I was just going to meet you cousin." He backed away, now with a huge smirk on his face, just by looking at my face, which was the color of a tomato.

"See you around Weasley!" He said goodbye to me. As he walked away, I heard him cracking up. Great.

I knew that I would have to get them back eventually, but right now, I just wanted to get on the train. I was sure that Hugo had put them somewhere on the Hogwarts Express, so I figured that I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

Trying to erase Malfoy from my mind, I continued walking with Alice.

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you! I made Head Girl," I took my badge out of my pocket, and showed it to her proudly. She didn't look impressed.

"Rosie, everyone knew that you were going to! You're the best student in our year." Then her voice got quiet, and she giggled. "I just want to know who the Head Boy is going to be."

"Why?" I asked her.

She looked up at me, and grinned. "Because the Head Boy and Girl have to share a dorm room together."

"Oh, right." I laughed at my forgetfulness. "Yeah, I'm not that concerned about it, as long as he doesn't drive me crazy."

"What about driving you crazy?" My cousin Al butted into our conversation suddenly.

"Oh, Rosie was just saying that she hopes whoever in Head Boy doesn't drive her crazy, since they will have to room together."

Albus gave me a huge smile. "Oh I actually know who that Head Boy is! Trust me you will love it." I could hear another meaning to his tone.

"Who is it?"

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see!" He told me, and then walked off, probably to find Malfoy. I gritted my teeth. My whole family seemed to always have some piece of information about me that I didn't, and they loved teasing me about it.

I bid my parents and the rest of my huge family goodbye, promising that I would write soon. I then climbed on to the train with Alice. We found the compartment that already contained Hugo, Lily (my younger cousin), Albus, and Malfoy (urgh). My family was huge, but most of my cousins had already graduated from Hogwarts.

They had left two open seats for us. Alice took the one next to Lily, so that they could gossip during the trip. This left me with only one option: Sitting between Malfoy and Hugo. The two people that I wanted to talk to most (I should tell you right now that I am a very sarcastic person, in case you didn't already realize that). Ignoring Malfoy, I turned to glare at my brother.

"So what did you do with my bags?" I growled. I felt the train begin to move. Hugo smiled.

"I gave them to Scorpius. I knew he would take good care of them." I felt my eyes widen, and I clenched my fists. My head was still turned toward Hugo, but I could he Malfoy laughing quietly behind me. I turned slowly to look ay him.

"Do you think that you could tell me where you put my bags," my voice shook from my anger at the fact that Hugo had chosen him to give my bags to, of all people.

"I would love to Rosie," he teased. I could feel his breath on my face, and looked away from him, blushing. These seats need to get further apart, I thought, as I pushed myself as far away from Malfoy as my chair would let me.

"So where are they?" I snapped at him.

"Thats not a very nice way to address someone who has your only way to change clothing or read a new book," I could here the smirk in his voice, even if I wasn't looking at him. It's sad but true. Only one of my bags had clothing. Three of them had all of my books.

The moment I had moved away from him, he had seen me blushing, and knew I was uncomfortable. He scooted out of his seat, and squished next to me, so that we were crammed very close together, not at all where I had wanted him to be.

"So, if you knew that I wouldn't tell you until you ask politely, how might you ask me for you luggage," he asked me, talking into my ear, which only made me blush more. My stupid face, I thought bitterly.

I turned and looked him in the eyes. He was so close that this meant that my whole face was incredibly red, but I knew that he would want me to be embarrassed while asking him. If I wasn't embarrassed, he wouldn't consider it worth his time to continue teasing me, and might never give me my luggage.

"Malfoy-" I began, but he cut me off.

"Scorpius," he told me. I wanted to wipe that smirk of his face.

"FIne! Scorpius, would you please hand over my luggage?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Good! Well at least, better," He told me, still smirking at how uncomfortable I was, and how much I didn't want to have to address him kindly. "Now, all you have to do it repeat after me. Say: And also, Scorpius, you are hottest guy at Hogwarts."

"And also Scorpius, you are the hottest guy at Hogwarts." I said, literally needing to bite my tongue from adding anything more.

"I would give anything to be snogging you right now," He said in a singsong voice. If looks could kill, he would be dead 10 times.

"I would give anything to be snogging you right now."

"And, without you, I would have nobody to fantasize about, or make me so nervous when I'm around that I blush like crazy." He laughed at the fact that my face got about a million times more red then it already was at this comment.

"And, without you, I would have nobody to fantasize about, or make me so nervous when I'm around that I blush like crazy."

He beamed at me. "Very good Rosie! Now, your luggage is right above us."

I jumped out of the seat, and looked up, so that I could see where all the suitcases were kept for the journey. Sure enough, my bags were all right there. I turned red, this time from anger.

"Thank you, Lily and Alice, for not pointing that out to me!" I screamed, while they looked guilty. "Thank you Albus, for not cutting off your crazy friend!" He merely smiled at me, while I turned to Hugo. "Thank you Hugo, for hiding my luggage!" He looked down, pretending to be ashamed. "AND _YOU_!" I shouted at Malfoy. "Thank you so much for humiliating me in front of my friends for _NO REASON_!" He smirked yet again at me.

"C'mon Weasley, I know that you were already thinking all of that. You're really just happy that I gave you reason to say it."

If I was a cartoon, smoke would be coming out of my ears, but I remembered that I was now Head Girl. Head Girls were not supposed to scream. I ran my fingers through my hair, calming myself down.

"I'm leaving." I told them all shortly. "I have to go talk to the new prefects anyway." Before I could leave, Malfoy had stood up behind me.

"Then I suppose I should leave too," he said.

"Why?" I asked him sharply.

Malfoy looked at Albus, who was looking at us both happily right now. He really did love it when we argued.

"You never told her?" Malfoy asked Al. He merely shook his head.

"I thought it would be more entertaining this way," he said.

"What is going on?" I asked them impatiently. Malfoy looked back at me, that stupid smirk on his face again.

"Well, I will be going with you because I am Head Boy," He said, fishing into one of his bags and pulling out the badge. I stared at it, completely dumbfounded. "Speechless Weasley? I can understand why," he strolled toward the door, and opened it for me, "After all, 10 months in a dorm with only the two of us? I doubt you'll be able to keep your hands off me."

I woke up from my daze when he said those words. I looked at him in horror, and said the only thing that I could think of at the moment.

"_Shit_," I breathed. Malfoy laughed at me. Then he gestured through the door he held open.

"After you, roomie," He grinned smugly.

Our meeting with the prefects went well. Then Malfoy and I went back to the compartment and changed into our robes. Al couldn't stop laughing at the situation that we were in. I was mortified, while Malfoy seemed thrilled at how uncomfortable the idea of spending 10 months with him is for me. We sat in silence for the rest of the ride, while we all tried to finish up essays that teachers had assigned to us at the end of last year. Well, everybody else did. I had finished them during the first week of summer. I had smugly told the whole compartment about this achievement. Malfoy had reminded me that the first week summer had been the week that he and Al had locked me in my bedroom, and only allowed me to come out to get food and go to the bathroom (I still don't know how they did that, and mom and dad never found out). I reminded him of the terrible hex I had put on him, when they finally let me our an gave me my wand (I love being of age!). This comment shut him up fro the rest for the journey, and I read blissfully in the quiet compartment. It was only when we all started getting up to get off the train that a sudden realization hit me.

Malfoy wasn't finding it as funny to yell at me now. He was finding it more amusing to embarrass me with...different methods. He had never enjoyed embarrassing me by just coming close to me and watching me blush. He normally needed something more than that. It scared me to think that he might use a more...sexual sense of humor this year, especially if we would be living together. That felt creepy just thinking. Nothing was very bad, but it was clear from the way he had acted around me on the train that he much preferred flirting with me and seeing how uncomfortable he could make me. When this thought occurred to me, I tried to glance in Scorpius' direction without him seeing. Of course, he saw me looking at him. He gave me a wink and wiggled his eyebrows. I could feel my face flush, and looked away. I could still see him laughing out of the corner of my eye. If anything, this proved my theory.

As I rode in the carriages with Lily and Alice, both talking about how exciting this new year would be. I could only think one thing: _I am so screwed. _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The giant mass of Hogwarts students made their way up to the castle. As Head Girl, I was in charge of making sure everyone continue moving, didn't get distracted, and other boring jobs. But, to be honest, I really enjoyed being in charge.

Malfoy had to 'help' me as well. He didn't care about being in charge, just liked annoying me. I must tell you, it is hard to keep your focus on lecturing some second years when he is purposefully leaning his head on your shoulder, and breathing cooly on your neck. In fact, while he was doing that, I lost my train of thought, and had to deal with his irritating face smirking for the rest of the night.

"What did I do Weasley?" He asked innocently, "What could I have possibly done to distract you?"

I responded by punching his arm very hard, and then walking away, leaving him to groan in pain. I'm stronger than I look.

We got to the castle, and everyone went their separate ways. Hugo, Al, Lily, Alice, Malfoy and I all went to sit at the Gryffindor table, and I got stuck sitting next to him. This made him only laugh at me more when he saw how awkward I felt around him. Of course, Malfoy was a Slytherin, but he hadn't sat at that table since first year. He called all of the Slytherins 'pompous jerks'. Whenever he said this, I told him that perhaps he should return to the table, so that he could be with more people like him. He always ignored this.

"So, how where everybody's summers?" Asked my other best friend, Anna Strite, who was just showing up. Anna was tall, blonde, and beautiful. Alice was also tall, had amazing brown hair, and was unbelievably gorgeous. I was the size of a pixy, had weird red hair that couldn't stay curly or straight for more than a day, and was terribly ugly. Alice and Anna were always trying to convince me otherwise. I appreciated it, but knew it to be a lie. I had one boyfriend in fourth year, but it didn't last long. Anna had a new one almost every month, and Alice had never had a boyfriend, but every boy around the castle still worshiped the ground she walked on. They told me that other guys liked me too, but I knew if was their duty as a friend to tell me this.

"France was boring!" Alice exclaimed.

"Oh, just cousins, cousins, and more cousins," Al, Lily, Hugo, and I all said at the same time.

"Hung out with Al, and of course Weasley," Malfoy said mockingly.

"Wouldn't call that 'hanging out'," I muttered under my breath.

"What would you call it then?"

"Hmm...torturing!" It took me a moment to think of the right word.

"Fine," Malfoy turned back to Anna, "I spent my summer hanging out with Al, and torturing Weasley." That stupid bloody smirk always had to find a way back, didn't it?

Anna laughed at our argument. "Well, I spent my summer in America, with Henry!" Henry was her current boyfriend. She had been dating him all summer, which had to be some sort of record. Anyways, I thought that since I'de seen him all summer, I would let you all be incredibly happy, at sit at this table for one whole day!" She always sat with her boyfriend, and Henry was a Hufflepuff.

"Yes! Queen Anna graces us with her presence," Alice shouted happily, and then scooted over for Anna to have a spot. This action caused me to have to push myself closer to Malfoy, because Alice was on my other side. I turned red, and looked away. At the same time, he pushed himself closer to me, just to annoy me. Now I was stuck, wedged between Alice and Malfoy, practically unable to move my arms.

"Alice, care to move?" I mumbled at her. She looked at my predicament and laughed.

"I would, but Anna has me squished too."

"Sorry, can't move any further down," Anna told me apologetically.

"What about you?" I asked rudely.

"What about who?" Malfoy asked me, knowing full well who I was talking to. Al was grinning from across the table.

"You."

"Oh, me! Okay, what would you like Weasley?"

"For you to move down the table."

"Why?"

"I'm a little bit squished."

"Oh, that has to be really uncomfortable for you."

"It is."

"So you want me to move."

"Yes, please."

"Very polite Weasley! But, sadly, another new first year just sat down there. We wouldn't want to be a bad Head Girl, and force a first year to move, would we? So, I'm afraid, no I can't move for you." I looked, and, sure enough, a nervous looking first year had just sat down in the spot that Malfoy would was moved down. I gritted my teeth.

That. Bloody. Smirk. Must. Die. I thought, as I reached for a fork, so that i could stab my food moodily. Thanks to Malfoy, I couldn't get my arm to the table, because I didn't have enough room. He was eating his his food, still smirking. He obviously saw the problem he was causing, but refused to talk about it unless I asked him. Well, I had asked him for favors two times already that day. That was two times too many. I wasn't going to do that again. I decided to use my hand that was next to Alice,, but it felt strange to eat with my non-wand hand.

I awkwardly tried to eat, more than once dropping my fork from clumsiness. Thankfully, somebody else around the table would always kneel down for me, and then hand it back. This way, I wouldn't have to ask Malfoy to let me have some room so I could get down. It was times like these that I was thankful for my friends.

As the feast finished, Professor McGonagall (the billion year old professor who somehow manages to stay healthy) got up to give some boring speech like she always did.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, to all the first years, and welcome back to everyone else!" She smiled around the hall. She was strict, but a very passionate teacher. "I want all first years to know that the forbidden forest is strictly off limits. Now, prefects, please lead your house up to the common rooms. You will find that your luggage is already in your rooms. Head Boy and Girl, please meet me in my office for further instruction. Now let us all sing the school song!"

We all mumbled to the words, to tired by now to really care what the tune was. We finished, and looked back at McGonagall.

"Now, everyone, good night!" And she turned to walk out of the hall.

Malfoy grinned cheekily at me, while I grimaced.

"Suppose we should go then, Head Girl," He said, rising from his seat. My right arm relaxed for the first time in what felt like hours (it was the arm that had been pressed up against Malfoy). I got up too.

"Yeah, I reckon we should," I followed him out of the hall, still rubbing my right arm. I waved glumly at Al, Alice, and Anna, who were all walking together. They waved back ecstatically, clearly incredibly amused at the fact that I would have to share a dormitory with Malfoy.

The two of us walked down the many halls, until we reached the gargoyles that stood in front of our headmaster's office.

"Er...I don't know the password, but we're the Head Boy and Girl? Could we go in?" I felt stupid talking to the stone sculptures.

"Oh right, she said that you would be coming," They both said, and sprang away form their spots. We both got on to the same step of the moving staircase, much to my annoyance, and Malfoy's pleasure. Every time I tried to change my step so that we weren't standing next to each other, he merely changed with me. I came to terms with he fact that he wasn't going to leave me alone, so I stood still. He took this opportunity to places his arm casually on my shoulder. I wiggled out in a split second, but it was too late. My face was already a brilliant red. He laughed at me, and then knocked on the door of her office. I blinked. I hadn't realized we had reached the room yet.

"Come in," said the muffled voice of McGonagall. He opened the door, and walked through. It swung back and almost hit me in the face. When I walked in, he was already in a chair, but could tell he was smirking. That bastard.

"Please Miss Weasley, sit down," said McGonagall, gesturing to the other seat in front of her desk. I sat down, and glanced at Malfoy. He looked at me, and widened his eyes in fake innocence. McGonagall missed this, and began speaking.

"I'm sure you know that with the responsibility of being a Head Boy of Girl, comes certain sacrifices in your sleeping arrangements," She started. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. She just had to start with the awkward part, didn't she?

Malfoy and I both nodded.

"Well, You will each have your own bedrooms, but will share one common room. Understood?" We nodded again.

"Now, given your past relationship with each other, I'm sure that we will not have the same...problems that we've had with previous students," McGonagall looked mildly uncomfortable, and I knew automatically what she was talking about.

"No, you certainly won't have problems like that," I snorted.

"Oh, I'm not sure Professor," Malfoy said casually, "After all, Weasley could barely stop herself from snogging me during dinner."

My face turned more red then I knew was even possible. I knew he wanted to embarrass me, but in front of a teacher? Really?

"I can promise you that Malfoy is a liar," I told her, "He is also a-" But she cut me off before I said anything I would regret.

"Yes Miss Weasley, don't worry about it. To be completely honest, I am glad you two are the Heads this year."

"Why?" I couldn't help but burst out this question.

"Because, the castle needed a break. You two will do just about anything to prank the other, never mind consequences like blowing up the charms classroom." She glared pointedly at Malfoy, who finally looked as embarrassed as I had been. "Perhaps now that you share responsibilities and a dorm room, you can learn to be a bit more civilized."

"Wouldn't count on it," I muttered.

"Anyways, the common room in on the fourth floor. It is behind a painting of a phoenix and Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall looked behind her to see a portrait of a previous headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, smiling down at us. "The password is 'troll', but you two can change it whenever you like. Just don't tell it to anybody else." We both nodded again. "Now, off you go." She pointed to the door, and we both go up to leave.

In the spiral staircase going down, I was fuming. When we got our and began walking to the room, I exploded.

"How dare you say something like that! And in front of McGonagall! That was the most embarrassing thing you've ever done to me! I was mad at you all through the feast, I was definitely not wanting to snog you! I can't believe you would say that! You are the most pigheaded, awful person I've ever-"

"Weasley! Shut up. We have to find this painting, okay? And fine, I realize it was wrong of me to say that the her."

"You...you do?"

"Yes, of course Weasley. You didn't want to snog me at dinner."

"Damn right, I didn't!" I growled at him as we found the painting.

"Troll," he said, ten turned back to me. "No, I know that you didn't. But you do want to snog me now."

I was walking in front of him through the hidden door, but turned on him.

"Shut up! I will never in my life want to snog you! I hate you, and I'm sick of you acting so...I don't even know what it is! You're just acting too-"

"Attractive?" He suggested.

"Urgh!" I shouted, and then jumped down on the couch in the center of our common room. I folded my arms, and stared pointedly at the fireplace. Malfoy, of course, came and sat directly next to me.

"I want to make you a bet," He said.

"Why would I ever make a bet with you?"

"Because if you win, you'll get something great out of it."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Ah, part of the bet is that you have to agree to it before I tell you what it is."

"Then never mind."

"Oh? So I guess the 'brave' Gryffindor isn't brave enough to just make a simple bet with a scary Slytherin."

Oh Merlin. He really does know how to piss me off. I glared at him.

"Fine, deal," I said, shaking his hand, "Now what is the bet?"

"Okay. I bet you 100 galleons that by the end of the year, you will be in love with me."

I literally laughed for three minutes when he said that. Wiping tears that appeared in my eyes away I looked at him, still grinning.

"You, Scorpius Malfoy, want to bet me, Rose Weasley, that I will be in love with you by the end of seventh year? And you are willing to give me 100 galleons if I'm not?" He nodded, smirking again.

"Correct, Rosie. If you are in love with me, then you not only have to snog me, but you also owe me 10 favors, and I get to choose what they are."

I froze up a little bit at his last comment. I could feel myself turning red. I hoped it looked like it was just the light of the fire on my face, but due to the fact that he was laughing quietly, I knew that he could tell. I looked back at him, smiling at me.

"I already agreed, didn't I?" I said dejectedly. He nodded cheekily.

""But if you are so sure that there is no way you will fall in love with me, then it really doesn't matter."

"That is true..." I looked at him, and could see the laughter in his eye. "I need to go to bed now." I got up suddenly, and tried to walk off toward my room. He laughed and grabbed my arm as I got up. He pulled himself off the couch, and pulled me over to a wall. I now had my back against a wall, and was cornered there because Malfoy's arms were blocking my way out. I could get out pretty easily, but I was curious as to why he had brought me over here. This normally would have been a scary experience, but I knew that Malfoy wouldn't do anything that could actually hurt me permanently. I looked at him defiantly.

"Let me go Malfoy."

"No. You got up so quickly, that I almost didn't tell you one last part of the bet."

I looked him in the eye. His face was a bit to close for comfort.

"What is it?"

Without any warning, his lips were on mine. As much as I wanted to move away, I couldn't. Not because he had me trapped against the wall, but because the moment his lips met mine, I melted. I felt myself start to kiss him back...more passionately than I would have normally done. I could feel by the shape of him lips that he was smirking.

Rose! What are you doing? You are snogging your enemy right now! I told myself.

After about 10 seconds, I realized what we were doing. I pulled myself away, and slapped him across the face. He rubbed his cheek, pretending that it had really hurt. Then he looked back at me, smirking.

"You know Weasley, that slap would be a lot more convincing if it hadn't taken you so long to realize what we were doing. Though, considering how enthusiastic you were, you probably did know what we were doing. Now, you can blush as much as you want, but you can't say you didn't like it."

Naturally, I blushed at his comment.

"What was the last part of the bet Malfoy? You were going to tell me, before you...you know."

He smiled at how awkward I was with this situation.

"Weasley, I thought it was clear. That kiss we just shared told you," He got close to my ear and whispered, "For this bet, I don't have to play fair." The he jut turned around and walked away. I glared at his back. I knew what he meant, and I didn't like it. This whole year, he would be doing anything in his power to make me fall in love with him. That included snogging me. It wouldn't be that hard, considering we were living together. Well, I mean that it wouldn't be that hard to snog me. It would be bloody impossible to make me fall in love with him.

As I climbed into bed, I was so tired I fell asleep almost immediately. The last thing I can remember of that night was thinking to myself, Well, even if the consequences of him winning are bad, I don't have to worry about it, because I will never ever fall in love with Scorpius Malfoy.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I awoke, lying comfortably in my bed. I blinked slowly, and looked up at the ceiling. I then ran my fingers through my hair a bit, and then climbed out of bed. I walked unsteadily toward the door that I thought would lead me to the bathroom. When I walked out, however, I realized that it came out into the hallway. Across from the door I had just walked through was Malfoy's doorway. Standing in the doorway was Malfoy. Great. Just what I wanted to wake up to. I tried to walk back into my room, but found that the door had locked. I looked toward Malfoy. His wand was out, and he was pointing it at my door. My wand was still inside my room, so there was no hope of getting back in.

"I love the outfit, Weasley," he sniggered.

I looked down, and automatically felt my face flush. Why had I picked today to wear the short and revealing nightie that Victoire had made me buy?

"Oh, right...So if I can't get in my room, how am I supposed to use the bathroom?"

Damn it, he's smirking again.

"Well, your bathroom isn't in your room. We share one." and he pointed down the hall to large door.

"Oh." I said lamely.

"Yeah, I was concerned at first too, but then I figured, why complain? We'll be snogging in there by the end of the year. Oh, that will be fun. It's a very nice bathroom." I punched him in the stomach.

"I need to take a bath." I told him, and walked off quickly.

After my bath, I found myself in another awkward situation. When I had left my room, I hadn't brought a change of clothing with me. I always felt strange wearing the same clothes again after a bath, which left me with only one option: Wrapping a towel around myself and going to ask Malfoy to unlock my door. Not something I wanted to do, but after thinking about it for almost 15 minutes, I knew there was no choice. I took the biggest towel I could find (which still didn't make it down past my thigh), and entered the hallway.

Halfheartedly, I tried to open the door to my bedroom, but didn't succeed. Obviously, he wouldn't have let me get off that easy. I knocked on the door or his room.

"Malfoy! Open my door!" I ordered.

"Why yes, you can come in, thank you for asking." He said sarcastically.

"I don't want to come in! I want you to come out and unlock my-"

He opened his door, much more willing than I thought he would be. I had been prepared to yell at him for 10 minutes, and eventually get him out by annoying him too much. He looked at me up and down, then smiled.

"I was lying before. I like this outfit much better."

"Shut the hell up, and open my door."

"Say please."

"No."

"Well then I won't."

"Yes you will."

"Why?"

"Because...I don't know."

"Oh! I do!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know how I would open your door for you."

"How?"

"Kiss me."

"...pardon?"

"I said kiss me."

He knelt down so that the two of us were eye to eye. "It's the only thing you can do. Otherwise you will have to wear the towel all day," he raised an eyebrow, "Not that I wouldn't be fine with that too."

"Is that seriously the only thing I can do?" I moaned.

"Yep."

"Okay...so, just really fast on the cheek?" I asked hopefully.

"If I'm planning on having you fall in love with me by the end of the year, I doubt that will get you very far. No, I think lips," he smirked at me, "But it can be as long as you want. I'm in no hurry."

Bracing myself, I leaned into his stupid face, and our lips met, like they had yesterday. This time, there was no passion at all, and it lasted about a millisecond.

"Now, unlock the door," I ordered.

"Very bossy, aren't you?" He smiled, and then said, "Alohomora."

"Thank you!" I said stiffly, and walked back through my door.

I threw on my uniform quickly, and pinned my Head Girl badge to my robes. I threw my book bag over my shoulder, and ran out of the room. My arguments with Malfoy had almost made me late to breakfast. As I ran our of my room, into the common room, and then out of the portrait hole, I was joined by Malfoy.

"Aww, waiting for me?" I said in a fake sweet way.

"Anything for you my darling," he replied, smiling.

This new flirting thing that we had between us was really starting to freak me out.

"Okay, can you just drop this?" I asked him.

"Stop what?"

"You know, flirting instead of arguing. This isn't like us. We hate each other. Remember?"

"Oh no, I don't hate you! I think that you are the most entertaining person in Hogwarts. I mean, the shade of red that you face turns, even if I just stand close to you, let alone do anything els-"

"Well maybe you don't hate me, but I can assure you that I hate you!" I told him harshly.

Even this, he just smirked at.

"Well, first of all, you don't hate me. You wouldn't have snogged me last night if you did. Second, even if you did hate me now, you won't by the end of the year."

"What makes you so sure of that?" I sneered, almost to the great hall.

"Well, mostly my history with girls."

"You've never had a girlfriend!"

"Yes, that is true, and yet, somehow, I still manage to snog most of them, never talk to them again, and they still love me."

"Well at the end of the year, that won't be me. I'll be laughing at you, while you give me 100 galleons!"

"You can think that as long as you want. But, I feel like I should tell you that out of all the girls at Hogwarts, you were the one that I thought would never snog me. And, accept it or not, it is the second day of the year, and we already have."

He smirked at me one last time, before grabbing my arm and pulling me over toward the Gryffindor table. He lightly pushed me into a seat next to Al, and sat on my other side.

"So, how are the...sleeping arrangements?" Lily asked casually.

"Great! Rose has her room right across the hall from mine, and this morning, she had on the most fabulous nightie I've ever-"

"Shut up!" I whispered, but it didn't do much.

"Then, she took a bath in the bathroom that we share, and had to beg me to let her back into her room."

I couldn't help but notice that he left out all of the kisses. This make me go red again, something that I'm sure Malfoy didn't miss.

Al was looking at Malfoy in horror.

"Bloody hell mate! I love it when you argue, but that sounds more like...um..." Al looked down, embarrassed.

"Flirting?" I suggested, "Yeah, I think so too."

I glared at Malfoy, who winked back.

"Oh, it's really just because of this bet we made," he smirked. Merlin, how many times has he smirked in just the first two days?

When he said that, I froze, fork in midair. I had been counting on him not bringing up the bet to my family. It would almost definitely make its way to my father. If he heard the words 'Malfoy' and 'falling in love' in the same sentence, he would freak out.

"Malfoy, don't bring that up," I pleaded, which obviously only made him want to tell them more.

"Well, Rosie and I have a little bet going," he placed his arm around my shoulder, and squeezed me close to him. I tried to shrink away. I shot him a don't you dare look, but he just winked at me again. "I bet her that she would fall in love with me by the end of the year. If she doesn't then I give her 100 galleons. If she does, then she needs to snog me, and she owes me 10 favors of my choice." He smirked down at my face, now hidden in my hands. I looked up at his face. How did he say all that, and not even blush?

There was a moment of silence, before all of my friends and cousins burst out laughing.

"Merlin Scorp! How the hell did you get her to agree to that?" Al said through fits of laughter.

"More importantly, where are you going to get the 100 galleons from?" Asked Alice.

"He made me agree to it before he told me what the bet was!" I explained to Al.

"Longbottom, I'm not going to need the 100 galleons." Malfoy explained, as though it was obvious.

I noticed that the only one not laughing was Hugo, who was looking at the two of us thoughtfully, and a grin was spreading wider and wider on his face. That can't be good.

"Hugo, you can't tell dad!" I warned him.

"Of course I won't! You'll have to tell him. Much more entertaining. But you will have to do it in person. Although, maybe you shouldn't tell him about the bet. I think you should tell him once you are actually in love with him," Hugo stated.

I rolled my eyes as he gave Malfoy a high five.

"Why do you think I'm going to fall in love with him, Hugo?" I asked, exhasperated.

"Well, you guys are always flirting with each other, and its pretty obvious that you both already think that the other one is hot, so maybe, this year, you'll both start to like each other for more than looks."

This time, Malfoy turned red with me.

"I don't think they are hot!" We both shouted together.

"Anyways, the deal is about her falling in love with me, not us falling in love with each other," Malfoy reminded him.

"I know, but I think that this could actually work, assuming you don't kill each other before you have time to fall in love." Hugo smiled.

"Hugo, you are crazy! They hate each other!" Anna told him.

"FIne! Don't believe me. Anybody care to place more bets?" Hugo said.

So, much to my disbelief, all of my closest friends (and enemy) made bets on whether or not I would fall in love with Malfoy before the year ended. I suggested that we also bet on Malfoy falling in love with me, but since the bet between Malfoy and I was only about me, they thought it would only make sense that they bet on me also.

After hearing Hugo argument, Lily decided to side with him as well. Al, Alice, and Anna (the three A's, as I liked to call them) all said that there was no way in hell that I would fall in love with him, which I of course agreed with. Malfoy of course sided with Lily and Hugo.

Once we had all finished placing bets, we talked about other random things, like teachers, summers, blah blah blah. Malfoy talked animatedly with Al for a while about Quidditch. It didn't go unnoticed by me that when he did that, he leaned over me so that he could talk to Al. With his head right there, I couldn't help but smell his hair. It smelled really amazing, like a mixture of strawberries, mango, and coconut (my three favorite flavors). When I smelled it, I couldn't help but continue breathing it in, and sighing every time I did. Malfoy obviously was amused, and after a while, couldn't help but bring it up.

"Something that you want to share with the whole group, Weasley?" he asked mockingly.

"No!" I said too loudly, and too quickly. His smile got huge. He was about respond, when Professor Longbottom (Alice's dad), the head of Gryffindor and deputy Headmaster, came to hand out our schedules. Thank Merlin.

Well, at least that is what I thought until I looked at my schedule. I had every single class with Malfoy. What a coincidence. Malfoy looked pleased though, and told us that it would allow him more flirting time Great. I turned red, while an argument about me falling in love with him sprang up again between the other six. I had a lot of my classes with The Three A's, so that makes up for the Malfoy issue (well, sort of).

My first class of the day was History of Magic, which I only had with Malfoy. I got up to leave quickly, but of course he decided to come with me. I tried to run off without him, but he grabbed my arm.

"Damn your reflexes," I grumbled.

"Oh, but I forgot to tell Al, Longbottom, and Strite an important detail about the bet!" he exclaimed. I felt my face turn red. Again.

"Don't do it," I warned, but he had already opened his mouth.

"I wouldn't bet on Rosie here not falling in love with me," he tousled my hair while smirking (how unusual), "Because she already snogged me last night!" He then grabbed my shoulder, and steered me out of the great hall. The last thing I saw was Al with his mouth gapping, Alice and Anna looking beyond shocked, and Hugo and Lily exchange an amused smile. That wasn't going to be the last I heard about this.

"You weren't supposed to talk about that!" I whispered furiously to him.

"Says who?"

"Me!"

"Well Weasley," he said, "I'm afraid that in this bet, I have the power, not you. So, I can tell whoever I want whatever I want."

"What makes you think that I won't tell McGonagall? She'd take away that Head Boy badge pretty damn quick if she knew," I smiled.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't do that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because, first of all, you don't know what other type of guy they would stick you with. Second, you just don't have it in you to do something like that."

"I do!"

"No, you don't."

"Fine, maybe I wouldn't, but what makes you think that you have the power and not me?"

"Well," he considered, "I have the power because I control how I act. If cheesy romantic comedies have taught this world anything, its that people can't control who they fall in love with."

At that comment, I pulled myself free of his arm (which was still around my shoulder), and turned to face him.

"I will never fall in love with you Malfoy," I spat.

Grabbing my shoulder again, he pulled me off toward History of Magic. "We'll just see about that," he said.

Malfoy might have thought that our way of mocking each other had changed, but I didn't. If he had tried to touch my should one year ago, I would have kneed him in the groin, and then ran off. So I did.

This year is going to be interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Not a very nice way to treat your roommate Weasley," Malfoy sneered as he came into the classroom, a few minutes late.

"No, I think it was appropriate," I told him sweetly.

"Mister Malfoy, take your seat please," said Professor Binns, the most boring ghost and professor in the world.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," said Malfoy apologetically, "Weasley held me up a bit."

"Well you're here now, so just take a seat," Binns told him, starting to get impatient.

"Yes, of course professor," Malfoy said. That must be how he got to be Head Boy, I thought bitterly, he just plays nice with the proffesors.

Malfoy surveyed the room, and saw only two empty seats. The one next to a scary Slytherin named Adrian Nott, or the one next to me. As I said before, Malfoy thought that all Slytherins were jerks, so he came to sit by me. As payback his injury, he pushed his chair very close to mine, making me go red. Some people looked curiously at us. He never would have sat next to me before.

"I'm sorry, I just make her really nervous," he told the whole class, while I started kicking him from under the table. He grabbed my chin with his hand, and pulled it up so I was looking at him. "You okay Rosie Posie?"

I jerked my head away. "Don't you dare call me that." I said with a quiet fury. Then I looked away from him, and payed attention to Binns for the rest of the lesson, which was harder than it seemed.

Once Malfoy caught on that I was ignoring him, and I refused to even talk to him, he did almost everything in his power to get me to cave in. He rubbed his leg against mine the whole lesson. He would brush a strand of my hair out of my face at random times. He even tried passing me notes, which i took and ripped up the moment he gave me, without looking at him or what the note said. I felt like I was holding my breath all lesson, waiting for him to just stop it. When the lesson was over, I got out of my chair and grabbed my stuff as quickly as possible. I nearly ran out of the room, but he caught up way to easily.

"Why is it that I make you so nervous?" he asked me seductively. I didn't answer. "Oh come off it! Just talk to me Weasley. You don't want me to sit next to you again in Defense Against the Dark Arts, do you? I will if you don't talk to me."

"Fine! What do you want Malfoy? To talk about how that was the single most embarrassing of my life? I think everyone saw you! They would have to be blind not to! It looked like we were a couple!" I exploded.

"If you really hate me as much as you say, then why didn't you stop me?" he asked, smiling.

"I was trying to prove a point!"

"What point is that Weasley?"

"That I can ignore you!" As the words bursted out of my mouth, I knew that I shouldn't have said them. I stopped in my tracks, realizing what it sounded like. Malfoy stopped with me, with a huge smile. I started walking again, though now it was more running. Of course, Malfoy matched my pace easily. Stupid short legs.

"So Weasley, why can't you normally ignore me?" he asked mischievously.

"Of course I can! I just wanted to prove it," i said, trying to cover up my mistake.

"But why would you need to prove it?"

"I just wanted to."

"Oh, so you just wanted to ignore me. It isn't at all that you knew the moment that you told me to stop it, I would? You didn't ignore it so that I would keep doing it?"

"Nope. Not at all."

We had now reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, where the three A's were already waiting for us. Malfoy didn't stop our discussion.

"You are a terrible liar Weasley."

"What about Rosie lying?" Al cut in.

"Nothing!" I shouted, my face burning.

"Well, today in History of Magic, i kept trying to get her to talk to me by using...ways of my own," Malfoy started. All three of them knew what 'ways of his own' meant. "Anyways, she ignored me the whole time. I would've stopped when she told me to, but she never did. Now she is insisting that she ignored it because she wanted to prove that she could ignore me."

"Rosie, thats disturbing on so many levels, I don't know where to begin," Al said, "Oh wait! Yes I do! What was that Scorp said about you snogging him last night?"

"Oh! That was his fault!" I was glad that there was finally something I could blame on him. "We had just agreed to the bet, when I was about to go to my room. He grabbed me, and pushed me up against a wall, and snogged me, and I could barely move. Then I slapped him and he told me that he didn't have to play fair in this bet. I took that to mean he would snog me as much as he liked, and there as nothing I could do about it. So yeah, he basically attacked me, and then threatened to do it again."

All eyes were now on Malfoy, who, for some, reason, didn't look embarrassed.

"You forgot the part where you snogged me too, Weasley. And you know that you could have easily gotten out when we went over to the wall," he reminded me.

Suddenly, all eyes were back toward me.

"It doesn't change the fact that you snogged me," I said defiantly.

"Yes it bloody well does!" Anna shouted.

"I thought you hated him!" Alice screamed.

"I bet 20 galleons that you two wouldn't get together!" Al shouted at me.

"We aren't going to get together! I do hate him! And it doesn't change anything Anna, because I got caught up in the moment. It is gone now, and Malfoy is just as much of a slimy git as he has always been," I talked as if he wasn't right next to me.

At that moment, Teddy, oh, I meant Professor Lupin began trying to get everyone the quiet down (I don't think I'll ever get used to calling him that). Yes, Teddy was now the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, and had been, ever since our old one had retired in third year. I was always so proud of him, considering everything my parents had told me about his past. He was an orphan, and my Uncle Harry was his only family (other then some crazy aunts and uncles from the Malfoy family, but they hate the Weasleys and Potters, so it didn't really matter).

"Okay class! We are going to be doing some reviewing from previous years! Everyone should grab a partner."

Alice and Anna partnered up, and Al, being the 'player' that he is, went and partnered with some Ravenclaw girl. That left me with Malfoy.

"Don't worry Weasley, I'll take it easy on you," Malfoy assured me, smirking.

"Wish I could say the same to you," I threatened, pulling out my wand.

"I'm sorry Madame Pomphrey! The spell must have gone a little worse than I expected it to." I explained, while sitting by Malfoy's bed in the hospital wing.

"What on earth did you do to him?" she shrieked.

"Well...I hit him with stupify and reducto at the same time, and they appear to have some...strange effects, when put together."

"Dear Merlin Miss Weasley! You have to give him a break!" she said, while leaving the room to get some medicine.

"I will when he does," I muttered under my breath.

I glanced down at Malfoy's unconscious body.

"Sorry about this Malfoy," I tried to say it seriously, but I couldn't help but smirk.

Madame Pomphrey came back, and forced some disgusting looking potion down his throat.

"He should wake up in a few minutes."

"Okay, thank you." I said to her, as she rushed off to some other patient. For some reason, she drew the curtains up around his bed before she left. Even though he was knocked our cold, I couldn't help but feel awkward. There was nobody there but us two. Teddy had been here earlier (since there was no way I could carry Malfoy all the way to the hospital wing), but had to leave to get back to class. I felt like I should stay with Malfoy. Even though I hated him, it was my fault he was here.

"I can't believe you are making me miss my third class, Malfoy," i spoke to his body again. I started to feel a little crazy for talking to someone who couldn't here me, so I decided to read, while waiting for him to wake up. My chair got uncomfortable, so I jumped on to his bed and leaned against the back so that my feet were up by his head. Well, they couldn't actually reach his head, so they were more by his stomach.

The book that I had was really great. I was almost glad that I didn't have to go to my third class. I was so into reading, I didn't notice Malfoy wake up. I didn't notice him see that he was in the hospital wing. I didn't notice him remembering the last thing he had seen was me shooting two curses at him. I didn't notice him see how close I was to him on the bed. I didn't notice him slowly put one hand next to my leg.

I did, however, notice it when he pushed very hard on that leg, sending me tumbling on to the ground.

"When you knock somebody out, it is considered rude to climb on to their bed," he smirked at the ungraceful position I had landed in. I pulled myself off the ground, and straightened my skirt, trying to keep as much dignity as I had left.

"Are you ready to go yet?" I asked him, ignoring his comment.

"What is our third class of the day?"

"Herbology."

"Oh, then no, I'm not ready yet. Fourth?"

"Free time."

"Yes, I'll be ready then."

Bloody git.

"Well you clearly don't need someone to watch you anymore so I think I will just-"

"No, Weasley, you aren't going anywhere."

"Why not?" I huffed.

"You knocked me out! You can't just leave me in this fragile state! Besides, who will make sure that I'm steady enough to walk? Who will let me lean on them, and carry me back to my dormitory? Who will feed me in case i broke my hands while I fell? It needs to be you Weasley! You're the only one who knows how to enter my dorm!" As he listed off everything that he wanted me to do for him, I couldn't help but slowly get a bigger and bigger glare on my face.

"You're fine! You can walk perfectly, and your hands aren't broken."

"I'm not willing to take that risk."

"Fine! Staring match. First one to blink wins." This was my brilliant solution.

"Sounds good to me. Anything to look into your beautiful eyes, Weasley."

I blushed again but ignored it. "Okay, ready, set, go!" I stared at him for a good thirty seconds, and he stared right back. After a while, he started wiggling his eyebrows in a very funny way.

Don't laugh Rose. Don't laugh. You'll blink. You have to feed him. Don't laugh, don't- but my thoughts were interrupted, when I started to laugh like crazy at how stupid Malfoy looked. I closed my eyes and laughed for a really long time. Trying to block laughter only makes it twenty times worse when it finally comes out. Why had I even been trying to stop myself from laughing again? I looked up and saw Malfoy smirking.

"I'm hungry, Weasley."

Oh right. Thats why.

"That wasn't fair! You make me laugh. Rematch!" I exclaimed.

"You never said anything about cheating. Now, walk me back to the dormitory. Then get me some food from the kitchens and bring it back to the dorm."

"Fine. But if you try to leave here while I support your walking, Madame Pomphrey is going to think you need to stay."

"So? I'll walk out of here just fine, and then you'll walk me the rest of the way."

"No way! I'm only supporting you if you need it."

""I do need it Weasley! I'm injured. Now, help me up."

I gave him my arm grudgingly, and he grabbed it to pull himself up. Then, we walked through the curtains, and he strolled up the Madame Pomphrey.

"Okay, I feel good now, and Rosie has offered to help me if I need it," I saw him wink at me.

"Very good Malfoy. And Weasley, don't be so aggressive please!" She said, and then walked away. As we left the hospital wing, Malfoy said in a mocking tone, "Yeah! Don't be so aggressive. My poor body can't take it!" He said it is such a seductive way, it was obvious that there was a different meaning to his words, but if I did anything physically harming to him, he wouldn't let it go, so I just glared at him.

We exited the hospital wing, and the moment we did, he practically fell on to my shoulder.

"My poor foot! I'll never walk again!" he moaned, "Weasley, please save me!"

And so I 'helped' him walk all the way back to our dorm, even though it was painfully obvious that he didn't need it. The moment we got into the common room, I dumped him on the couch, and straightened my back. I started running my fingers through my hair, which I always did when I was trying to calm myself down.

"You wanted food, right?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Yes!"

"Okay, I'll be back you moron."

"Malfoy, I'm back!" I shouted when I came back to our dorm. At that very moment, he was walking out of the hallway that lead to our rooms, looking guilty, but pleased.

"What were you doing?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing," he said casually as he sat on the couch.

I'll figure it out eventually, I thought.

"So, I guess that you actually can walk?"

"Yup, good as new," he said smiling.

"Great, well here is the food," I said, setting a large plate down next to him. I made to walk into my room, but he called to me "No! I need you to feed it to me."

I paced around the room, running my fingers through my hair over and over again. Malfoy watched me, looking highly amused. Finally, I sat down next to him, glaring.

"What do you want?"

"A strawberry."

I dropped it into his mouth, nearly making him choke.

"Next?"

"A piece of mango."

I did the same thing with the mango.

"Next?"

"Some coconut."

I froze, and looked at him. It wasn't possible that he would want to eat the same flavors that just happened to be the scent of his shampoo, and the three flavors that I love the most. I crossed my arms.

"Did Al tell you?" I snapped.

"What about Al?" He was laughing, but I could see the smirk in his eyes.

"Yeah, Al told you." I decided.

"I honestly don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes you do! Or is it just a coincidence that you happen to want to eat the three things that I love eating? And is it a coincidence that your shampoo smells like them?" I got louder at each sentence.

He was just looking at me with an innocent expression until I brought up his shampoo. Then, he just smirked at me for a few minutes.

"What the hell are you looking at me like that for?" I yelled.

"Weasley? Why were you smelling my hair?" He asked, with that same stupid smirk on his face.

"I...I wasn't...I didn't do it on purpose...I mean I..." I stammered, while Malfoy just laughed.

"Wow. Getting you to fall in love with me is going to be a hell of a lot easier than I thought."

"I'm not in love with you! You were just right in front of me during breakfast, and I could smell it."

He didn't say anything more to me about it. Just smirked. That probably pissed me off more than anything else would have.

We both worked on some of the homework that Teddy and Binns had already assigned us. Surprisingly enough, we didn't argue for the rest of the day. He continuously flirted with me, but nothing that bad...until dinner.

"So what happened after Defense?" Al asked. "Last I knew, Rosie knocked Scorp out, and then brought him to the hospital wing."

"You actually knocked him out Rosie?" Lily giggled.

"It wasn't actually that difficult," I laughed.

"Yes, but while I was knocked out, she climbed into my bed-"

"You what Rosie?" Al interrupted sharply.

"No, I climbed on to your bed. Then he pushed me off when he woke up." I defended.

"Yes, then she helped me walk back to the dorm, and she fed me-"

"You what Rosie?"

"Al, quit interrupting! But yeah, I did. He said that his hands didn't work."

"Yeah, she fed me a strawberry and a mango, but when I asked for coconut, she freaked out and talked about how those were her favorite foods, and how it was the scent of my shampoo, and how Al must have told me that she liked those foods."

"Which I actually did," Al put in.

"Yeah, but she didn't know for sure, and it was really funny, having her scream about it."

"Shut up Malfoy."

"Make me Weasley." that smirk was back, and I knew that I would have to 'make him' if I wasn't going to go insane from looking at his face.

I honestly don't know what came over me, but I guess I wanted to prove that I could actually shut him up if I wanted to. So, right in the middle of the great hall, I kissed Malfoy.

Oops.

I had a lot of force when I 'attacked' him at first, but then he started kissing me back, and before I knew it, my hands were in his hair. When I did that, I felt his lips change from passionate, to a smirk. Merlin, he just doesn't stop smirking. Fortunately, his smirk woke me up, and I practically jumped away from him.

I sat in my seat, breathing heavily, eyes wide with the shock of what I had done. I looked at Al, who looked appalled and disgusted, as did Anna and Alice. Lily and Hugo were just cracking up. I dared to glance at Malfoy. I really shouldn't done that. He, too, was breathing heavily, but with a huge smirk, which made me blush.

"You really do love his hair! Well, Alice, Anna, Al, just for today, I'll let you change your bet. But do it quick, because I think Rose attacks him again soon." Hugo said.

"That. Was. Only. Because. He. Wouldn't. Shut. Up!" I said, while taking deep gasps of air. I really shouldn't have been that passionate.

"Oh, so you were trying to prove a point?" He asked.

"Exactly!"

"Funny how whenever you try to prove a point, it makes it seem like you're falling in love with him." Alice stated.

I got up from the table, and walked quickly out of the hall. As I left, I heard all of the three A's say, "I'm changing my bet."

I cursed at them in my head, and made my way to the dorm room.

"Troll," I muttered at the painting, and it swung open. I was about to go in, when I remebered something that McGonagall had told us: You can change the password whenever you like.

I walked back out and said to the painting, "Is it okay if I change the password?"

"Of course," the painted version of Dumbledore said, "What do you want it to be?"

"Love," I said. It was the first word that came to mind.

"Very well the new password is 'love'," said Dumbedore.

"Thank you!" I said to the painting, and waited on the couch for Malfoy. I heard steps approaching the door, and sat up to listen.

"Troll," said the voice of Malfoy.

"I'm afraid that is no longer the password," said Dumbledore.

"What?" This time is was Al's voice.

"The young woman has changed it," replied Dumbledore.

I then heard tons of fists knocking on the door.

"C'mon Rose, let us in!" I heard Alice say.

"We need to talk to you!" Anna shouted.

"Scorp could barely breath for five minutes!" I heard my brother yell.

"Not helping Hugo," Lily said.

"Oh, just let us in! We wont even talk about the kiss!" Alice put in.

"Like hell we won't," Al mumbled.

"I might suggest that you stop yelling," Dumbledore said.

"Oh, sorry," they all said, sounding embarrassed.

"Now, what is going on here?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, Malfoy and Rosie made a bet that Rose would fall in love with him by the end of the year-" Lily abruptly stopped talking when she noticed that the door had swung open the minute she said 'love'. They all stared at me, sitting on the couch for a moment. I probably looked like a deer, about to get hit by a car. Then they all started yelling and running into the common room. I had two options: Run or stay. If I ran, it would look like the kiss meant something to me, so I stayed. That kiss didn't mean anything. At all.

They all took a seat, and eventually quieted down. They were all staring, and making me feel uncomfortable. The best part was that Malfoy had taken a seat right next to me, and kept smirking every time I so much as glanced in his direction. The room had reached complete silence when Al said decided to speak.

"So... I guess you really do like snogging him Rosie."

I hid my face in my hands.

"I really don't know what happened! One second he was saying telling me to make him shut up, and the next I...Well, I was..." I blushed again.

"You can say that again," Hugo sniggered.

"Listen, Rose," Al started, " I really want to be supportive of all of the decisions you make, but it is important to realize that, as your protective cousin, that was the most disturbing thing I've even seen. I am begging you, please don't fall in love with him."

Even I laughed at that.

"You don't have to worry about that," I laughed weakly at Al.

"So, seriously, if you aren't in love with him, why did you do it?" Alice asked.

I looked at Malfoy (still smirking), who sat up a little straighter at this question.

"You know, I'de like to know that myself," he said. It was the first time I heard him speak since I had...snogged him. Yikes, what a gross thing to say.

"Er...Like I said, it was to prove that I could shut him up. I probably should have...thought through a better plan though."

"Just a little bit," Al said sarcastically.

"Also, why did you change the password to 'love'?" Anna asked.

"Oh, it was the first word that came to mind," I said, blushing yet again.

"Yeah, because you don't love me, but it just happens to be the first think you think of," Malfoy smirked.

"Oh, just shut up," i sighed. His eyes lit up.

"Make me," he whispered to me seductively. I leaned in, as if to kiss him, and then slapped him across the face for the second time that day.

"Sort of deserved that one, mate," Al said.

"Whatever," Malfoy muttered.

"What a clever response," I said jokingly. He glared at me, and I smirked back.

The seven of us sat in our common room for a while, talking about other peoples first days. We steered clear of the subject of the bet, me, Malfoy, or anything that related, which I was grateful for. After a while, I noticed the time.

"Okay, everybody out," I said, standing up, "What kind of Head Girl would I be if I didn't give you detention for being out past curfew?"

They stood up and stretched, working their way to the door.

"Oh, wait!" Alice exclaimed, "We need a short girls meeting!"

Confused, Anna, Lily and I all came up to her. We huddled together as a group in the back of the common room.

"Can they hear us?" Alice whispered.

I looked around the room. All three of the guys were looking at us with curiosity.

"Probably," I whispered back, "But why does it matter?"

"Oh, I was just wondering where you and Malfoy snogged last night," she grinned at my red face. I looked around, and by the smug look on Malfoy's face, he had been able to hear us.

"Why do you want to know?" I whispered.

"Because he's just so hot!" Lily announced, clearly not caring whether or not he heard our conversation.

"Be quiet!" I half whispered, half yelled at her, "Okay, fine, it was right over there." I pointed to a section of one of the walls, and they all looked at it. Simultaneously, they all sighed with envy.

"I'll trade you, if you want," I told them.

"Won't say no to that!" Anna said happily.

"Okay, I'm positive that they can all hear us by now," I told them all. We all straightened up from the huddle we had been in. I looked at the faced of all the guys. Malfoy looked smug, Al looked queazy, and Hugo looked like he was torn between being disgusted, or bursting out laughing.

"Why would you do something like that?" Al asked me.

"Like what?"

"Remember where you guys snogged! It's just so...wrong!" He said.

"It's not like I'm just going to forget." I said defensively.

"Don't worry about it Al," Malfoy teased. I thought he might actually be trying to be nice, until he came and put his arms around my shoulders, "What with Rosie falling in love with me and everything, you should probably get used to seeing us snog." He laughed as I squirmed, and tried to get free of his grip around me. Everyone but Al and I laughed as well.

"Excuse me while I go throw up," he said, and left the room, all of the others followed behind him. Hugo took a moment to come and kiss me on the cheek.

"Good night Rosie!" he said happily, and then left cracking up at the thought of me trying to convince Malfoy to let go of my shoulders. Then the portrait hole closed, and Malfoy and I were left alone in the common room. I kept wriggling around, until I finally found a way to escape. I jumped at the opportunity. I slipped or of his arms, and then ran into by room, not bothering to look behind me.

I walked over to my wardrobe, and opened the drawer that I kept my pajamas in. Nothing was there. I opened the drawer where I kept my t shirts. Nothing was there. I opened every drawer, but no matter what, I was left to conclude that all of my clothing was gone.

"MALFOY!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I ran over to the door that lead to the hall and flung it open. To my surprise, he was already standing right in front of my door, smirking. He really has to stop doing that. It pisses me off.

"Yes Weasley?" He said politely.

"Do you, by any chance, know what happened to all of my clothing?" I tried to control my anger, but my voice was still shaking.

"Me? Well, yes, i might."

"Where?"

"Where what?"

"Where is all of my clothing?"

"In the bathroom," I could see that damn twinkle in his eye. He always had it when he knew that he had some kind of information about me that I didn't.

"Fine," I spit out, and stalked off to the bathroom. The moment I walked in, I felt my whole face turn red again, though I wasn't sure if it was from anger of humiliation.

In the bathroom, laid out all over the place, was every piece of clothing I owned. All of my t shirts and pajamas weren't the real issue. It was the fact that all of the bras and underwear were out as well. I could feel my whole body shaking. I turned around to see the idiot that had done this smirking (what a surprise).

"I...I can't believe you would...How dare you...Why would you ever...Go to hell!" I couldn't come up with a full sentence, so I decided to go with that. I slammed the door to the bathroom in his face, and turned to clean it all up.

When I had finished, i used a levitation spell to carry all of the clothing back to my room, and then placed all of it back into their designated drawers. I could see that Malfoy was watching me from his doorway, looking very amused. I turned, gave him the middle finger, and slammed my door.

I changed into some pajamas and flopped on to my bed. Two days ago, I would be screaming at Malfoy about how much I hated him. Now, I have snogged him twice, he has seen me in just a towel, seen every piece of clothing I owned, and all of my friends are betting that I am in love with him by the end of the year. This really has to be the fastest growing relationship in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

About a week had passed since the first day of school. Luckily, nobody had seen me snog Malfoy, and my friends didn't tell anyone. Over the last week, Malfoy had continued flirting mercilessly with me, but I refused to cave. We hadn't snogged since the first day, though he had kissed me a few times (without my permission) while we were in our common room. Only lightly though; it barely counted as a kiss. I always washed out my mouth afterward, to prove a point. I really had to stop doing that.

I woke up earlier than Malfoy that morning, thank Merlin. I changed quickly, and grabbed my book bag. I ran down to the great hall, and grabbed some toast and jelly. I took the food out on to the grounds, and went to visit my favorite place in all of Hogwarts: The huge tree on the banks of the Black Lake. I sat it a comfortable spot in the roots and ate my breakfast, while watching the castle wake up, More and more students started coming outside, having finished breakfast. It was really soothing to not have to deal with talking to anybody during the morning, and the Hogwarts grounds were really beautiful.

I took a book out of my bag, and sat there, reading for what must have been an hour. It was a sad realization that History of Magic started in just 15 minutes. I packed up all of my things, and made my way to the classroom. I was early, and even Professor Binns wasn't there yet. I set my bag down at a desk that was near the front of the room. I walked over to the window, and looked out at the grounds. I don't know why I was feeling so emotional toward Hogwarts this morning, but for some reason, while I looked at the giant squid waving its tentacles over the water, I started crying.

What a perfect time for Malfoy to walk in.

"Merlin! Weasley, are you crying?"

"No," I said wiping a tear from my face, only for five more to spill out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, walking over to the window with me.

"Nothing! And thank you for being so sympathetic."

"So you are just crying for no reason?"

"No..."

"Well then what is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

He rolled his eyes.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then why are you still talking to me?"

"Because you won't leave me alone."

"Weasley, just talk about it or be quiet."

"Make me."

I realized the meaning of that phrase as soon as it came out of my mouth. He smirked at me, and he could clearly see that I hadn't thought that through very well.

"Well, if you really want that-" he started leaning toward me, but I interrupted.

"I'm not really in the mood." I said glumly.

"When will you be?"

I glared at him.

"When hell freezes over."

"Okay, so whatever you are crying about makes you not want to snog me...it must be serious. Now, just tell me what it is."

I took a deep breath and said, "Well, I'm just feeling sad because I've pretty much grown up at Hogwarts, and after this year is over, I'm never going to be able to come back. I mean, it has been more of a home than my parents house has every been, and I've made more memories here than I every will anywhere else. I'm just not ready to give all that up yet." As my talking came to a close, I realized that I had just told Malfoy a serious confession. I knew that there is no way he could take it seriously, and he would undoubtedly mock me about it later.

To my surprise, he walked up to me and gave me a hug. I was freaked out at first but accepted it. I rested my chin on his shoulder (accidentally smelling his hair), while he stroked my hair slowly.

"It's okay Weasley. I've been feeling the same way." he said into my ear. I pulled us apart from our hug.

"You have?" I asked.

"Yeah Weasley, I love Hogwarts too. You aren't the only one."

"I know that I'm not the only one, but you've never actually told me anything personal before."

"I could say the same about you."

"Yeah...well I reckon we should sit down."

"Guess we should," he shrugged.

We sat next to each other, and talked about all of our favorite things about Hogwarts. Slowly, the class started to fill in, and eventually started. I turned my attention to the board, and we went through almost the same process as we seemed to do everyday. He kept trying to intertwine our feet, and I kept pulling away while blushing. He kept playing with my hair, while I kept batting his hand away while blushing. He kept passing me notes, while I kept ripping them up while blushing. Same old, same old.

We walked out of the class together. I didn't even bring up his flirting, and he didn't bring up my blushing. I had hoped that there was a mutual understanding between us that just for today, we wouldn't give each other a hard time. After all, we had made it through a conversation about something serious with very little bickering.

At least, I had thought that there was a mutual understanding, until Herbology.

We sat down, and asked Professor Longbottom what we had missed while Malfoy had been whining to me about sending him to the hospital wing. Neville, oops, Professor Longbottom said we hadn't missed much, and we hadn't had any homework from yesterday. Then he asked us how I had sent him to the hospital wing. Malfoy, as usual, smirked.

"Well, you see professor, Weasley and I have a little bet going. She doesn't particularly like the idea of losing, even though it is inevitable. So, she decided to let her anger out, a bit too much," he winked at me as he said this. Merlin, how can him just blinking one eye make me go that red?

"What type of bet is it?" asked Neville, looking at my red face suspiciously.

"Before I could even glare at him, Malfoy had told him, "Well, I'm convinced that by the end of the year, Weasley will fall in love with me. She thinks that she won't."

Neville looked at me accusingly.

"Why are you making bets like this, Rosie? Do Ron and Hermione know?"

"Well, he made me do it," I said, pointing the Malfoy, "and, um, no, they don't. Could you be a very kind professor and family friend and just keep it to yourself?" I begged, batting my eyelashes.

"Rosie, you really haven't grown up at all, have you?" Neville asked me. I shook my head innocently. "Fine, I won't tell them. But if you lose the bet, well, I wouldn't want to be around when Ron found out."

"Trust me, I won't," I assured him.

"Wouldn't count on that Weasley," Malfoy smirked, then turned to Neville, "After all, we have already snogged twice in the past week." He turned on his heel and left me looking awkwardly at Neville, who stared back at me. He looked as though he were seeing me for the first time.

"You...kissed a Malfoy?" He breathed.

"A little bit," I said sheepishly, "But please don't say anything to them!"

"Of course I won't Rosie! If Ron every found that out...well, lets just say that I want my daughters best friend in good health..." he just shook his head and walked away.

I turned around, at sat at the only available seat: between Al and Malfoy, with Alice also sitting at the table. The moment I sat down, I punched Malfoy in the side, which pushed him off his seat.

Neville shouted, "Okay everyone, your seats right now will be your seats for the rest of the year!" I groaned at this, while Malfoy climbed back on to his seat, somehow, with smirk still on his face.

"So are your parents going to kill you?" He asked.

"Nope! I convinced Neville not to tell them."

"Batted your eyes again?"

"Didn't need to! He told me that he knew they would kill me if they found out, and he wanted me to still be alive so that Alice could have a best friend."

"What about Strite?"

"Anna is always off snogging her boyfriend."

"Interesting. Who is Anna's boyfriend right now?"

"That sixth year Henry from Hufflepuff."

"Ah. Going for the younger man."

"Yeah."

I realized that while we were talking, Malfoy had brought his hand up to rest on my arm, and was now stroking it slowly, while looking at me with an expression that had actually made me think he cared about my life for a moment. When I noticed this, I yanked my arm away and looked away from him.

He chuckled quietly. "Oh c'mon, you total noticed!"

"I did not! I wouldn't have let you touch me if I was paying attention," I told him, blushing.

"You obviously aren't paying very close attention most of the time then," he sniggered.

"Of course I am!"

"So then you do notice if I touch you, just don't say anything. Why don't you say anything?" He asked me mockingly.

"Because if I do, you'll just say that I pay to much attention to you."

"That is probably true," he admitted.

"Told you! Now, pay attention to the class," I said to him, pointing at the front of the room where Neville had been talking about some strange looking plant.

"How can I pay attention to anything else, when a beautiful girl is sitting right next to me?" When he said this, I blushed crimson, but didn't respond, or even look away from the front of the class. He decided that the lesson wasn't important enough to pay attention to, and watched my every movement for the whole time. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, and couldn't focus on anything else, even if I tried desperately to do so. I don't know what had just happened. We had teased each other casually as if we were actually friends, and now we were back to him flirting, and me being embarrassed. We had made an insane change in our relationship, and it had only been a week.

The moment the bell rang, I let out a sigh of relief that I had apparently been holding in all class. Malfoy noticed this, and grabbed both Al and I by the arm, smirking as he pulled up along. i felt like he knew that he had been distracting me.

"So, Weasley, I saw that Longbottom and Al were playing hangman all class. Considering you are such an amazing student who always pays attention, could you please tell Al what todays lesson was about?"

I tried and failed to wiggle out of his grasp as he said these words.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" He asked me, a glint in his eye.

I just ignored him, and turned my head in the opposite direction, so that he couldn't see my red face. I waited a moment, hoping that the color would disappear, then looked back at him.

"If Al wasn't smart enough to pay attention, it isn't my job to tell him what he missed," I huffed.

"Fine. Well, I was distracted by you the whole time. Surely you can understand why such a beautiful person would take my attention. Could you fill me in on what I missed?"

Al was watching me struggle against Malfoy's grip with an amused expression.

"Just lay off her, okay?" He laughed at his best friend.

"No. I need to make her fall in love with me by the end of the year. If I let her tell herself that she doesn't have feelings for me, she will never be able to tell me," he turned from his lecture with Al to look back at me, "So Rosie, c'mon, just answer me. Technically, it was you're fault that I missed the lesson, so you should fill me in."

"I...don't know," I mumbled quietly.

"You don't know?" Malfoy gasped, still with that glint in his eye, "So, you weren't paying attention either? What on earth were you paying attention to, Rosie Posie?"

"Stop calling me that," I said, yanking my arm out of his hand. I ran forward, through a crowd of students, all moving to their next class.I heard him laugh a goodbye to Al, and then catch up to me in only a few strides.

"Where are you going now?" he said with that smirky, I-know-why-you-want-to-get-away-from-me tone.

"My next class," I mumbled, looking uncomfortably at the ground.

"Ah, but Weasley, we have all of our classes together, so I happen to know that you have a free period! I also know that you don't have any school work to do. So, how about we continue this discussion by your favorite place in Hogwarts?" he asked smugly.

"How do you know what my favorite place in Hogwarts is?" I sneered.

"Well, you told me this morning, when we were talking about everything we liked about this school."

"Oh," I said, remembering the conversation

"I'll take that as a 'Yeah Scorpius! I would love to spend an hour with you down by he lake!'" Malfoy grabbed me by the arm, and physically forced me down to the roots of the tree that sat by the lake. He sat down next to me, and pointed to his lap, as though offering that I sit on it. I glared as a response.

"So, back to what we were talking about," he said.

"What about it?"

"What distracted you?"

"Nothing."

"You and I both know that is crap, and I don't want to have another conversation like this morning where I had to practically pry the information out of you. So please, if you tell me right now what you were distracted by, we can discuss it, and then I will never bring it up again."

"You promise?" I asked him.

"I would never lie to you Rosie!"

"Don't call me that."

"No, I want to."

"Well, you only call me that when you are flirting."

"Lately, I almost only talk with you to flirt."

"Well, it is still weird hearing you call me that."

"Why?"

"Because you called me Weasley for the past six years, and this whole flirting thing is too weird."

Okay. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop calling you Rosie."

"Damn you."

"If you think carrying on a conversation with me is going to make me forget that you promised to tell me what distracted you, then you really are an idiot."

"What a nice thing to call someone that you are trying to get to fall in love with you."

"What distracted you?" He continued pressing it on me. I tried to ignore him, but once he had been continuously poking me in the stomach for five minutes I burst out my answer.

"Fine! You distracted me! Happy now?"

"Oh, yes, I certainly am. What was it that distracted you?" He tried to get me to look him in the eye, but i kept fidgeting and glancing away. This only made him tease me more, "Was it how I kept staring at you? Was it my lips? Has it been too long since you kissed them? You should know that you never need my permission to do that. Was it my eyes? Or my hair?" His smirk widened at his last suggestion.

"I guess...It was a mixture of the hair, and how you wouldn't stop looking at me," I muttered it, but Malfoy still heard me, and his smile got even wider. He now looked like the Cheshire Cat.

"So my looking at you got your attention?"

"Guess so."

" Wow. This is a truly enlightening talk. I was beginning to think that you would never even come close to liking me. But, after only one week, I've already gotten you to think that I'm attractive."

"I don't think you're attractive," I growled.

"Of course not. My mistake. You only think that my hair is attractive."

I pulled out a book and buried my nose in it, avoiding his eye contact. We were both silent for a few minutes, until Malfoy's face suddenly changed into a smirk that clearly said try to find a way out of this, Weasley.

"It is really hot out here Weasley. You wouldn't mind if I cooled down, would you?" he asked.

I didn't even look up from my book, which was a bad idea. If I had, I would've seen his face and known that something bad for me was coming. But I didn't look up.

"No Malfoy, do whatever you want," I said absentmindedly.

I heard some movement from the person next to me. When I reached the end of my chapter, I put my book down, and looked over at Malfoy. I shouldn't have done that.

Malfoy was lying next to me, with his shirt off, and his hair all messed up. It was the first time in my life I admitted to myself that Malfoy was hot. I can't believe I just thought that.

He was reading some book that he must have had in his own bag, though it was obvious that he wasn't reading much. I think that he had been waiting for me to look over at him, because the moment I did, he put the book down and smirked.

"You've got a problem, Weasley?"

"Nope," I popped the 'p', and tried to look back at my book, but just couldn't take my eyes off of him. He could clearly see that I was looking at his body.

"My eyes are up here, Weasley."

"I know." I said, still looking at his amazing six pack.

"Care to look at them?"

"No," I breathed. I don't know why I said it; I guess it just sort of slipped out.

This did nothing to help my situation. He laughed, and then turned to look at me so that I could see him fully. I wasn't sure if I appreciated that or not.

"So, before, when you said that you were only attracted to my hair, nothing changed, right?" He said sarcastically.

"No, nothing." I told him. My eyes still didn't move. Was it fair for one person to look that hot?

"Do you remember when your cousin Lily told you a week ago that I was hot, when you were having your 'girls meeting'?"

"You really weren't suppose to listen to that conversation." I might have a little more dignity in this conversation if I could manage to move my eyes.

"Well, I did. Anyways, do you disagree with her?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Fine. You know, I think I'll just put my shirt back on..."

"No!" I burst out, which made him laugh very hard.

"Why not?" He asked.

As if he didn't know.

"I...I might agree with Lily..." I whispered.

"Okay fine, take as long as you need," he smirked, "But I should warn you that accepting how I look is the first step to accepting how you feel."

"I don't love you Malfoy. You just, um, have a nice...torso." I blushed furiously, but this was probably the first time I had ever blushed at him, but still not looked away.

"Don't worry about it Weasley, most girls can't handle it."

"Most girls love you."

"That is true. After all, the one who hasn't been able to stop looking at me for five minutes definitely does. Or at least, will."

The two of us must have looked pretty weird. For the last 15 minutes, he just lay there, smirking and laughing at my amazed face. I lay a few feet away, with a forgotten book next to me. It has to be the only thing in the world I would stop reading for. When it was finally time for lunch, he put on his shirt, an the two of us walked up to the great hall (he had to help me up when we left the tree, because I could barely move my legs, they were shaking so much). The rest of the day, he kept catching me looking at his shirt. Now that I knew what was underneath it, I couldn't help myself. He would always raise an eyebrow at me when he saw me, and I would quickly look away.

"Weasley, you have to stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you wished that you were ripping off my shirt!"

"I am not wishing tha-"

"Fine. If you want to prove that you don't find me attractive, I have to prove to you that you do."

We were sitting in our common room, working on homework. I had apparently been staring at him, though I hadn't realized it. After this short argument, Malfoy took off his shirt, winked at me, and then continued on his work.

"I have to go to bed now," I said, tearing my eyes away after a few seconds. "Night Malfoy."

I got up, and walked out of the room quickly. Malfoy caught up to me, and stopped me. Just before I reached the door, he cornered me against a wall. Again.

He still didn't have his shirt on, and it was the first time that I was glad that my eyes only reached his chest.

"Weasley, just look at my face please," he sounded impatient. I looked up at him, to see him smirking back.

"I realize that, seeing as I just showed you this today, it might be a bit distracting," he gestured to his body when he said 'this', "but remember that it can be rude to stare."

With that, he leaned his face down to mine, and we kissed passionately for the third time in a week. I put one hand on to his chest, and the other slowly weaved itself into his hair. He pressed his entire body into mine, so that I was pushed up against the wall. After who knows how long, we broke apart, both taking deep breaths. He was the first to speak.

"That was a bit more intense than I had planned, but I probably enjoyed it more than I would have, even if you had done something stupid like slap me again. I, however, think that it was pretty clear that slapping was the last thing you you had in min-"

"Good night Malfoy!" I yelled over his voice, and slammed the door to my room.

"Good night Weasley!" He shouted back through the door, "Try not to think about me without a shirt on too much tonight!"

"Wouldn't count on it!" I shouted back. Oh Merlin, I wish there was some way that I could control what I said.

I heard him laugh, and then walk into his room.

Okay, so he's hot, I thought. It doesn't mean that I like him...just means I like how he looks. Yeah. Thats it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

For the next few months or so, Malfoy and I actually got along pretty well. I was starting to blush almost every time he entered a room (which, of course, he noticed), bur for the most part, nothing changed. He would constantly flirt, I would ignore it. I was actually saved when we reached October, because it was unseasonably cold. That meant that Malfoy couldn't take his shirt off while we were outside as much (Insert smug face here).

The issue was, I was actually starting not to mind his company that much. Of course, he had snogged me a few more times in our common room, but every time he did so, I was becoming more and more willing, but of course I never told him that.

I got my schedule for school down, and was able to develop easy paths to get from one class to another. Seeing as Malfoy was in all my classes, lived with me, and had to go on rounds with me as Head Boy, that basically meant that I couldn't get rid of him all day.

Anyways, like I said, nothing particularly eventful happened, until Halloween. It was the holiday of scary things, like ghosts, goblins, trolls...and spiders.

"How the hell did you know that I'de be here?" I asked Malfoy sharply.

"Are you kidding? You're always here," he replied, as though it was obvious.

"No I'm not. I have breakfast in the castle at least once a week! I just think it's nice to wake up to a more calm atmosphere."

"I agree," Malfoy smirked, "Which is why I have decided to join you out here."

"Well there goes the calm atmosphere," I grumbled, but still moved over so that he could have room to sit at the tree with me. I was also making it part of my schedule to have breakfast out by the lake. This was once the only time during the day I could get away from Malfoy, but it appeared that he had caught on to even this part of my routine.

"If I'm just quiet and sit here, then the atmosphere can still be calm."

"No, it can't."

"Why not?"

"Because no matter where you are, the atmosphere is never calm."

"Why would you say that?"

His face had gotten close to mine. It was clear that he thought that him being near memade an un-calm atmosphere, but for almost the first time, he was wrong.

"Look behind you, Malfoy."

He rotated his body, and groaned. Standing about 10 feet away from us were a few girls, who were all trying to pretend that it was an accident that they had followed Malfoy out here.

"Told you," I said smugly, "No matter where you go, some girls find a way to follow. The common room is the only place they can't follow you to, and I've even found some girls trying to guess the password to that! I had to give them detention, but really, I think that they just need a mental hospital."

"Girls were trying to get into our common room?"

"Yup."

He grinned and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to make your ego any bigger than it was."

"Okay, so it wasn't that you were worried that I would find one of them attractive and snog them?"

"Nope. You can snog whoever you like, just don't do it in our common room." I told his, exasperated.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to have to walk in on you doing anything..."

He could see that I was uncomfortable with the conversation, so continued talking.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've only snogged you in our common room this year."

"Oh, that makes me feel great!" I said sarcastically, "So how many girls have you been with this year?"

"One."

"What?"

"One."

"But...you normally have been with one new one every day."

"Yeah, but this year, I've only been with one."

"Who was it?"

"You're an idiot, Weasley."

"What? Why?"

"Because _you_ are the only girl I've snogged this year."

I could feel my face turning red. "Oh."

We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes while more girls joined the group. I couldn't tell what they were doing more, glaring at me, or marveling at Malfoy's beauty.

"Hey, Malfoy?" I said after I was totally sick of them.

"Hmm?"

"Your fan club is starting to piss me off."

"That's nice," he said absentmindedly.

"You aren't listening to me, are you?"

"No, I am. I just don't really care about them anymore, to be honest."

"Why not?"

"Well, they've been following me since first year. I've had time to get used to it."

""Well, I haven't."

"I know how to get rid of them, if you want," he smiled.

"How?"

"Well, we could snog. They hate it when I'm with another girl while they watch me," he said, grinning.

"Oh Merlin, forget I asked. We have to get to History of Magic," I said, standing us, wiping some dirt off of myself, and then leaning down to get my bag. "You coming?"

"Yeah."

I extended my hand for him to pull himself up on, which he did. The problem was, he didn't let go, even as we walked by the now huge crowd of girls.

"Malfoy, let go of my hand," I whispered furiously. If I shouted, it would just draw attention to us.

"No, I don't think I will."

"Let go of me, or I'll hex you."

"You can't, because I have your right hand, which is the hand that you use your wand with."

"How do you know what my wand hand is?"

"When you want a girl to fall in love with you, you notice little things about her. It makes her feel like she is important to you," he sighed impatiently.

"But you just told me that, so I know that I'm not important to you."

"Yeah, you are. You're really fun to argue with, and _really_ fun to embarrass."

We had reached the History of Magic classroom, still holding hands. The students gave us a weird look. I blushed again, while Malfoy just led me down to the table at the front of the room, as usual. He dropped my hand, because our chairs were too far apart to continue.

So what else have you noticed about me?" I asked him, since we still had about five minutes until class started. He laughed quietly.

"Well, you play with your hair to calm yourself down, no matter what has gotten you nervous, or mad, or whatever. Your favorite flavors are strawberry, mango, and coconut. The only thing that can make you stop reading is to look at my abs," I snorted at this one, "You only blush when I come really close to you, but not with any other guys. You always say at dinner that you're stuffed, and then eat another serving of everything. You wake up at almost seven in the morning, even though your first class doesn't start until nine. You will tell your cousins Al and Lily just about anything. You really like how books smell when you open them. Do I need to keep going?" He ended, smirking at my red face.

"How did you know all of that?"

"I pay attention, Weasley."

"But how did you know about the book smelling thing?" That was by far, one of the weirdest things I did, and always tried to hide my book-smelling from people.

"Every time you open a book, you take a deep breath before you start reading."

"Merlin, you really notice a lot."

That class was the first History of Magic class all year where he hadn't tried flirting with me the whole time. He kept his chair away from mine, but did occasionally glance at me, always smirking.

I'm pretty sure he kept smirking because, even though he didn't touch me all class, my face never changed color. For some reason, knowing that for the past two months, he had been paying that close attention freaked me out...In a good way. I did feel important, just like he had told me. He had told me that noticing things about girls makes them think that they are important to you. So, I knew that I wasn't that important to him, but I still couldn't help but feel a bit...special.

"Weasley, you haven't looked me in the eye since History of Magic. What happened?" Malfoy asked me during dinner.

_Merlin, way to bring it up in front of my friends. They wouldn't let me back out of this one._

"Rosie, whats up?" Al asked.

"Nothing," I said evasively.

"Rosie, what did Malfoy do?" Alice asked.

"Other than be incredibly hot," Lily added.

_Not helping the red face, Lily._

"Don't worry about it," I said.

"Well, the fact that even Malfoy noticed that something was wrong with you proves something, doesn't it?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, Malfoy never pays attention to you," Hugo put in.

_Really not helping the red face, Hugo!_

Once he said it, it was too late. Malfoy's eyes lit up, and he started smirking. _Merlin Hugo, I'm going to kill you._

"So thats what it is?" he asked me quietly.

"No," I said, looking away from him.

"Weasley, how many times have I told you that you are terrible at lying?"

"A lot."

"You still are."

"What are you two talking about?" Al interrupted.

"Nothing," we said together, which made me blush more.

"Let's just drop it," I suggested, and we did.

After a few more minutes of eating, I said, "Merlin, the Halloween feast is huge! I can't eat anymore."

Automatically, I reached out to get more food. Then, I remembered Malfoy saying: _You always say at dinner that you're stuffed, and then eat another serving of everything._

I put the serving spoon down quickly, and looked away from his, yet again, smirking face.

I think he might have remembered it too.

"Oh Rosie! I almost forgot to give you your Halloween present!" Malfoy exclaimed.

"Malfoy, why the hell did you get me a-"

"Because girls love presents, no matter what the occasion is."

"Okay fine, where is it?"

"Right here," he said, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. There was that glint in his eye again. That can't be good.

I took the box cautiously, and shook it. I could here something small moving around.

"What is it?" I asked him suspiciously.

"It won't be a surprise if I tell you."

"Okay, just promise me it'll not explode when I open it?"

"I promise."

"Okay," and I nervously pulled the lid off of the tiny box. Inside was...a ring.

"Malfoy, what are you playing at?" I asked, while holding the ring out to the light, checking to see if there was some hidden message or something. There wasn't.

"I'm not playing at anything! I saw it on our last Hogsmeade trip, and thought you would like it."

"That would be more convincing if you didn't have that glint in your eye."

"What glint?" he asked.

"The glint you always get when you have some piece of information that I don't but I need."

"Oh," he whispered, and looked me in the eye, "So you pay pretty close attention to me too?"

I blushed and didn't respond.

"Well, thank you, I guess," I said stiffly.

Then I put on the ring.

I really shouldn't have done that.

I knew there was a glint in his eye.

The moment that ring was on my finger, it transformed into a large, hairy spider. Sitting right on my hand.

This would be the part where a normal person swiped the spider off while screaming, and then got her cousin to get rid of it. Well, my fear of spiders is not normal. Malfoy knew that.

It started crawling around on my arm, while I started hyperventilating. Literally. I could barely breath. My whole body was shaking like crazy. I would have told someone to get it off for me, but it didn't work, because I couldn't even speak. After a few seconds of me just staring at it, I started to shake my arm violently, but it still wouldn't come off. I could now feel tears streaming down my face. It wasn't about my anger with Malfoy, it was about my fear that any second now, those pincers would dig into my skin.

"Help. Me." I breathed through gasps to the rest of the table. Hugo didn't help. He just ran out of the hall. I had suspected he would do that, so I wasn't that mad. We both inherited our father's fear of spiders. Alice and Anna backed away, obviously too disgusted to come near me. When Lily, Al and Malfoy just sat there too, with shocked expressions on their face, I started shaking my hand violently again. The spider didn't like that too much. It crawled up my arm, and down to my legs. it began walking back and forth on my thigh.

"HELP ME!" I repeated, much louder than before. My whole face was covered in tears that I couldn't wipe away, because I still couldn't move my hands. All at once, the two people left to help me sprang into action. Lily and Al had been sitting next to me, and they both got poised, ready to flick it off when it was unsuspecting. Malfoy just sat across from me, still with a look of shock.

Right as it looked as though the spider might stop moving around so much, Lily flicked her hand over my thigh, pushing the spider at Al, who caught it quickly. He had no fear of spiders, and quickly stood up with it in his hand.

"Should I just...put it outside?" He asked awkwardly.

"I. Don't. Care," I said, still gasping.

"Er, no, you should put it somewhere by the forbidden forest. That's where I got it from..." Malfoy confessed quietly. Al glared at him, and then walked off.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at Malfoy (yet). I just sat there, shaking, while Lily, Alice, and Anna came and hugged me. We must have just sat there for ten minutes, them whispering nice words in my ears like: "It'll be okay Rosie" and "It's gone now, you don't have to worry".

When Lily whispered in my ear, "I can punch Malfoy for you, if you want," it brought me back to my senses.

"No," I responded firmly, though my voice was still shaking. I stood up from my seat.

"That really isn't okay Malfoy. You know how much spider scare me. You knew that, and you still did it! _I can't believe I actually thought we were making progress this year! I mean, we were friends, in a twisted sense of the word! But this is unforgivable! I can't imagine what made you think that it was okay to do that!_ I WAS SHAKING, AND CRYING, AND YOU JUST STOOD THERE! I KNEW YOU DIDN'T LIKE ME, BUT THIS IS JUST CRUEL! _I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, AND I WILL NEVER, EVER, FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU!_" When I finished yelling, almost everyone in the hall was watching, but I didn't care. Head Girl or not, I wouldn't let him get away with this. So, I leaned over the table, and punched him in the nose. He didn't even try to fight it.

"Weasley-" he began.

"NO! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO ME! YOU CAN GO TO HELL MALFOY!" And I stormed out of the hall.

"Weasley, I live in there, you have to let me in at some point!"

"No, I don't!" I shouted back through the wall that lead to where Malfoy had been standing for the last hour. I had stormed up here, and changed the password. He had, for the last hour, done a mixture of shouting apologies through the door, asking me to let him in, and shouting random words at the door, hoping to guess the password.

I had changed it to 'spider', because I knew he would never say that. Only an idiot would have the nerve to scare me half to death with one, and then come upstairs and shout it at me.

"Rosie, I shouldn't have-"

"You're right! You shouldn't have! And don't call me Rosie! You told me that you only call me that when you are flirting, and now is just about the worst time you could possibly pick to flirt with me!"

There was no response from behind the door. I started running my fingers through my hair, but it didn't calm me down.

"Are you playing with your hair right now?" Malfoy's smirking voice came from behind the door.

"No!," I shouted, quickly dropping my hand, "I'm going to sleep now Malfoy! Keep guessing as many random words as you like, just do it quietly. I don't want to have to hear you voice for the rest of the night!"

There was no response, so I just stormed into my room, slamming the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I woke up the next morning to see that Malfoy must have gotten into the dorm eventually, but left early. I knew he had been there, because there was a note lying on the table in the common room. I picked it up and read it after I had taken a shower and gotten changed.

_Dear Weasley (notice that I am not trying to flirt),_

_You probably aren't going to believe that I actually didn't mean to scare you that much, so all I can do is tell you that it is true. If I were you, I would never talk to me again, but, seeing as we have all are classes together and live together, I don't see that happening. Sorry, just being realistic. But even if we weren't living together, or we didn't have classes with each other, you would still have to talk to me again, because I refuse to let you ignore me, for two reasons._

_1) If you ignore me, I will probably lose the bet._

_2) Believe it or not, I don't find you that annoying, now that you don't hate me as much. Like you said yesterday, we are friends, in a twisted sense of the word._

_So you can tear this note up if you want, but it will not change anything. You will not be able to stop me from talking to you. _

_Lots and lots of love (now I actually am flirting),_

_Scorpius_

_P.S. Really? Spider was the password? It took me three hours to guess._

_P.P.S. You are probably playing with your hair right now._

Of course, I had been, and dropped my hand immediately. I folded up the letter and put it in my pocket.

This letter had to be the first thing Malfoy had ever done that made it seem like he liked me for more than just the bet.

I knew that it would be nearly impossible to avoid him, seeing as we sat next to each other in almost every class, but I decided to try to hold out as long as I could.

I went down to the great hall, and was going to grab my breakfast like I always did. Malfoy was was waiting outside the hall for me, already holding a plate of toast and strawberry jam. He tried to hand it to me, but I walked by. I took my own breakfast, and brought it out to the tree. He followed me, and started rushing through a string of apologies. I ignored him the whole time, and ate my breakfast like I would normally. I got up to head to History of Magic. He kept following me, and kept apologizing. I sat down at my seat, and he sat next to me. I opened my book, and read while he talked. Well, pretended to read. I couldn't really focus with his voice yammering on and on. He kept passing me notes during all of our classes. I didn't even rip them up, just pretended I didn't see them. We continued all of our first three classes like this. Then, for our free hour, he suggested that we go to the tree like we normally did. I had a sneaking suspicion that he wanted us to go there so he could take his shirt off. If anything, that would get me to notice him again. Instead, I walked to the library, him trailing behind me the whole time.

Nothing changed until we got back to our dormitory. It was nearly eight at night. I sat on the couch, and started working on the essay for Transfiguration. He sat next to me, and grabbed the pile of homework that was sitting on my lap. He threw it on the ground, and grabbed my arm so I couldn't get off the couch to retrieve it.

"Damn it Weasley! Just talk to me!"

I didn't even look up, just stared at the ground.

"Do you know what that essay is about in Transfiguration?" I asked him quietly.

"You're just going to talk to me about school? Can't you just talk to me about yesterday?"

"Just answer the question."

"Fine, no, I don't know what the essay is about."

I looked up at him, straight in the eye. He could see the anger in my eyes, and he actually looked frightened for a moment.

"It's about transfiguring animals into objects," my voice shook with anger, "Care to fill me in on how you do it?"

He gulped.

"No, not really."

"You said you wanted to talk about yesterday! Lets talk about it! How did you do it?"

"I...you know...used a spell..."

I tried to pull my arm out of his hand, but it didn't work.

"Merlin, Malfoy! What is wrong with you? You go through all that effort to freak me out, then you claim in your stupid letter that it wasn't supposed to be that bad, then you apologize all day, and finally, you won't even tell me how you did it! But, to be honest, that's not what I care about anymore Malfoy. I want to know _why_ you did it." I finished my speech.

He looked down guiltily, and then started talking.

"I found that spider in second year. It used to be really tiny. I brought it home to my dad, who likes it when I bring stuff from Hogwarts home. He told me about how your dad didn't really...care much for spiders. He said that it used to be really funny to watch him freak out about it at school. So, he transfigured it into a ring for me, and told me that one day I should give it to you," he looked up at me, and then continued, "I knew that with the way we used to treat each other, you would never put on anything I gave you. But now, even though we've only gotten to know each other for a couple months, but you still put it on. I figured it was going to be funny…the spider_ was _really small when I found it. But...I guess in the six years...it grew up a little bit."

I stared at him in shock. He had been waiting to do that to me for six years?

"Your dad has an interesting sense of humor," I said coldly.

"I really am sorry Weasley," he said. I could hear in his voice that he was, but I still wasn't sure if I was willing to forgive him or not.

"I know you are, but it doesn't change anything."

"Yeah, 'it changes nothing' the same way that you snogging me on the first day of school 'changed nothing' about the bet!" he said sarcastically.

"I told you guys then that it changed nothing, and I'm telling you now that your story changes nothing about that spider. You still did it, and that is the important part." I looked away from him.

"But it does mean something! If I actually thought that spider was going to be that big, there is no way I would've given it to you!"

"Why not?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why not?" I repeated.

"Why wouldn't I have given you the spider?" he asked incredulously. I nodded. "Because I'm not that cruel!" He exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"This is the weirdest conversation I've ever had."

"No, it isn't. One year ago, you would have jumped at the change to make me freak out about a huge spider. Now you apologize to me about it all day," I smirked.

His face might have gone a little red, but I couldn't tell for sure in the awful lighting.

"Well, if I didn't apologize, you would've stayed mad at me, and then you wouldn't fall in love with me," he said quickly. I smirked again.

"But you told me that I actually meant something to you."

"Yeah, that I liked embarrassing you!"

"Then you said that I wasn't that bad to talk to either," I said slyly.

"I don't remember that."

"I do," I said, and then shook his hand off of my arm (he was still holding me there). "You know Malfoy, I think we should've bet on you as well," I winked at him, then picked up my books quickly, and ran out before he could try to ask me what I meant by that. He wasn't an idiot though. He knew what I meant.

I reached my room, and put on some pajamas (the nightie that Victoire had given me again, because none of the other pajamas I had were clean). I bounded into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I had a surprising amount of energy, especially seeing as today had been very long, and my tiny body really could never stay energetic too long. I suppose I was happy with the idea that Malfoy might now be feeling as uncomfortable as I had when he had first made me agree to the bet.

When I was finished in there, I walked back into the hallway, to find Malfoy waiting for me outside the door. I had a certain amount of confidence right now, and knew how to flirt, considering it was all he had done for the past two months. It was only fair that I made him as awkward around me as I had been around him for quite a long time.

"Hey, Scorpy," I winked at him, as I walked past. I 'accidentally' touched his arm as we passed. "Try not to think about me too much tonight!" I smirked as I entered my room, quoting Malfoy from the day that he had taken his shirt off in front of me. Once the door was closed, I heard him respond.

"Wouldn't count on that!"

I blushed when I realized that he had quoted me from that night.

"Flattered that you remember!" I said, as I walked back toward my door, and opened it, to see Malfoy still in the hallway. Now, however, there was one thing different. He wasn't a shirt. I stared for just a second to long, and he grinned.

"I could say the same to you," he said, taking a step closer to me. I had to move my head so that I was looking him in the eye.

"Nothing distracting you, right?" I asked him innocently.

"Oh no, there is definitely something distracting me," he said, so close that he was almost whispering seductively in my ear. "What about you?"

"Nope, nothing," I responded, practically forcing my eyes not to wander.

"I don't believe you," he whispered, reaching forward to play with a piece of my hair. I slapped his hand away playfully.

"You can look, but don't touch," I said calmly to him.

"How long do I have left of the looking? Because I don't mind that, either."

I considered it for a moment.

"30 second," I said.

"Well, that's too long to go without touching," He said in my ear, and then closed the already tiny gap that was left between us.

His lips collided with mine, and we kissed up against the same wall that we had the day that he took off his shirt for the first time.

I wrapped one leg around his, and both of his hands began messing with my hair. We deepened the kiss, and both my hands wrapped around his back. We stood in the hall, wrapped around each other, for what I estimated to be about 30 seconds. Then, when the time ran out, I easily pushed him off of me.

"Times up!" I winked at him, and then closed the door to my room behind me.

The minute he could no longer see me, I slumped against the wall of my room, breathing heavily. I started playing with little strands of my hair, and all of the confidence I had shown while with Malfoy was gone.

_Merlin Rosie, what have you done! You just flirted with, and snogged the hell out of Malfoy! Malfoy! Why would you do something so stupid? He's going to just make his flirting a billion time worse now! Why would you-_

My thoughts were cut off by Malfoy.

"Weasley, you playing with your hair?"

"Yeah," I replied.

_Oh, what a clever response, Rose!_ I thought sarcastically.

I heard him laugh.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly. I heard him enter his room.

I climbed on to my bed, and tried to get to sleep without thinking about Malfoy. It was harder than it might seem. I eventually drifted of to an uneasy sleep, but couldn't help but have an unsteady feeling in my chest. Malfoy had a bet to win, and I wanted to prove that I wouldn't just sit back and let him make me feel like an uncomfortable and helpless girl. We both had a goal, and I was going to take a lot to get us to back down.

Now Malfoy and I have had a lot of 'wars' over the years, either to do with pranks, insults, or injuries.

I get the feeling that this was the start of a flirting war.

I wasn't going to give up until he cracked, and I suspected he was thinking the same thing about me.

We've only been at Hogwarts for two months, and my life was already upside down because of some stupid bet.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I woke up the next morning, feeling no better than I had before I went to sleep. Actually no, I woke up feeling about a billion times worse. I hoped to have a minute to myself when I got up, but no such luck. The second I opened my eyes, I could see Malfoy sitting in the chair that was right across from my bed, watching me.

"_What the hell are you doing here_?" I asked him, pulling my covers further over myself, as if for protection. I silently kicked myself when I said this. If we were, in fact, going to be having a 'flirting war', then I couldn't allow myself to get that mad at him anymore (or at least not as much).

Fortunately, I didn't have to think about the battle with Malfoy I had cornered myself into for very long, because the second I pulled my covers over myself, I pushed my head further toward the wall...

Oops.

The last thing I remember was seeing Malfoy's amused face come sauntering forward toward me, and then I blacked out.

"I don't know what she did! She wasn't waking up early, which wasn't like her, so I knocked on her door. I walked in, and she was just unconscious!" Malfoy was saying earnestly to someone.

I opened my eyes, and looked at my surroundings. I was lying in a bed at the hospital wing, and Malfoy was standing a few meters away, trying to explain to Madame Pomphrey what had happened.

If I was Madame Pomphrey, I would have completely believed him. He sounded so convincing.

But I'm not Madame Pomphrey.

"That's a lie," I muttered groggily, bringing Malfoy and Madame Pomphrey over to my bed now that they knew I was awake. I was trying to prop myself up on my arms, but finding myself too weak. "You didn't just walk in, you were watching me sleep. I hit my head because you scared me when I woke up."

Malfoy gave me a long, and genuinely confused look. "Rosie, no I didn't. Do you think you hit your head too hard? Do you have a fever?" He brought his hand down to rest on my forehead. I shook when he touched me. No doubt, he could feel my movement, because when he had angled his head so that Madame Pomphrey couldn't see him, he raised his eyebrows at me, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

"She doesn't seem to have a fever, but I honestly don't know what happened to her!" Malfoy told Madame Pomphrey.

"Stop lying!" I tried shouting at him, but my voice was gravely and strange.

"Shh Rosie, don't worry about it," Malfoy told me reassuringly, placing a hand on my cheek and trying to slowly push me back down to the bed. "What can you do for her? I'm really worried about her having these hallucinations."

Madame Pomphrey clearly believed Malfoy's story. This frustrated me to know end, but made sense. Malfoy was a more credibly source of information in this situation.

"I might have some potions in the back," Madame Pomphrey started, then fixed Malfoy with a hard, searching look, "But if she wasn't actually having hallucinations, they could have some side affects."

So she believed him, but still sort of believed my story! That had to be something!

"What would the side affects be?" I asked, swiping Malfoy's hand away from my face, where it had been resting.

"Well, you could have trouble sleeping, be eating more," she then glanced at Malfoy, almost wishing that he wasn't here, "And you might become a bit more sexually active for about 24 hours..."

"She'll take it," Malfoy put in, a little bit too quickly. I smirked at him as Madame Pomphrey bustled off to get it for me.

"So Scorpy, why would you want to make me more sexually active? After last night, I doubt I need it," I laughed as his face went just a little bit red. "Anyways, if I might say so myself, you're a very convincing liar."

"Rosie, I really wasn't in your room," he looked at me with worry in his eyes, "I'm not sure where you got that idea. But I wouldn't worry about it too much. Girls have hallucinations about me all the time, especially the ones who are falling in love with me."

"Oh come on! You're not actually going with the whole 'it was a hallucination' thing, are you? I know it wasn't! I saw you in my room!"

I expected him to, at any moment, shout something out like 'Just kidding!' or 'Ha! I almost fooled you!' but nothing like that happened. He just kept looking at me with worry and confusion.

"I...I didn't imagine it, did I?" I asked, more to myself than him. It had seemed so real, but now, Malfoy really seemed to not know what I was talking about.

"No Rosie, you did. Why wouldn't you believe me about this?"

"Your track record isn't exactly clear."

"Yeah, but so much has changed between us! You need to relax a little more around me."

He was sitting on my bed now, right next to me. He affectionately brushed his hand down my cheek, and I felt myself melt. I hadn't even realized how much tension my body had until I let go of it. I heard him softly laugh.

"Why is it that you can't relax around me?"

"I can!"

"No, you can't. Your always a lot more tense when I'm around."

"Maybe it's because you gave me a giant spider. It seems normal that I'de get scared of that?"

"Didn't you forgive me last night?"

I laughed at him, and put one arm around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

"No Scorpius. I snogged you last night. It's very different," I whispered to him.

He jerked his head out of my arm, much like I had done to him over the past few months.

_Good job Rosie! You actually flirted with him and pretended to like him, and you were confident!_ This thought comforted me, until I thought about how my exterior confidence compared to my interior. I couldn't help but think that they were very different. I was a big mess of unconfident-ness (it's a word!) inside.

Madame Pomphrey came back to my bed.

"Okay Miss Weasley, drink this, and then you can go in about 15 minutes," she told me hurriedly, and rushed off to do Merlin knows what.

I looked at Malfoy again.

"You sure it was a hallucination?" I asked, "the side effect only happen if I wasn't hallucinating, and I'm not interested in being sexually active today."

"I am."

"You really weren't in my room when I woke up?"

"Yes Weasley, _I really wasn't in your room when you woke up._"

I studied his face for a moment, and concluded that I must have imagined it. Nobody could lie that well. I took a swig of the potion, then another, and another, until it was gone.

We sat by my bed and talked for 15 minutes, and then got up to leave.

"How many classes have we missed?"

"First and second, but I think that you have the right to skip Herbology."

"No! I have never skipped class unless I was really sick!"

"C'mon Weasley, live a little bit! It's only one class."

"But I-"

"Just come out to the tree with me! We can sit there for third and forth hour. I'll even take my shirt off, if you want," he winked at me.

"Oh Malfoy, you know how much I want that!" I said sarcastically, "But that still doesn't change anything. I'm going to Herbology, and you can't stop me!" I grabbed his hand and started pulling him out to the greenhouses. When we were walking by the huge tree on the lake, he dragged me over there, and stood where we normally sit in the roots. He just kissed me lightly on the lips, and I reluctantly kissed him back.

"Just two hours?" he asked.

I gave him a _I can't believe you're doing this_ look, and then sat down by the tree. We stayed there for the next two hours. Malfoy came up with a game where we each had to tell the other one something about ourselves that the other didn't know. It was actually rather fun, especially when I found out that Malfoy had his first kiss with Francis Frudham, a girl in our year who was very weird and irritating. I think he found it most entertaining when I told him that I used to wear frilly pink dresses, and want nothing more than to be Cinderella, but my dreams had been crushed when my dad had told me that wanting to be a sickness wasn't something to work toward.

It was time to go to lunch, and we stood up to leave.

"Oh wait Rosie, can I tell you one more thing?" he asked as we walked up to the school.

"Sure, why not."

"Okay, well, i doubt you knew that I am a really good at convincing people to do things they shouldn't," and he smirked at my face that had gone from amused to dumbfounded in about two seconds. I stopped dead in my tracks but he kept pushing me along, grinning. "In fact, I am so good at that, that I could probably convince a girl who supposedly 'hates' me that she had a hallucination. On top of that, I could convince her that she should take a potion that makes her horny, and get her to skip class. But you know, this is all just hypothetical," he finished, laughing at my horror stuck face as we entered the great hall.

"But...why would you...what did...how did...oh, damn you."

He just laughed, and sat down next to me.

"What are you two on about?" Anna asked.

"Weasley's just much more gullible than I thought," Malfoy announced.

"Do you have to tell all of them every conversation we have?" I hissed. Then I remembered that I was trying to flirt with him. I wasn't too good at that. I leaned over him (so that my chest was right in front of his face) to grab a sandwich off a plate that was on his side. It would have been much easier to just ask him to pass it, but if I was going to win the war, that wouldn't work.

He had clearly looked, because when I returned to my normal sitting position, Al kicked him from under the table.

"Scorp! That's my cousin!" He exclaimed. "You aren't supposed to look at her!"

I smirked, but Malfoy was still unfazed. How did he never go red?

"I'm think that when Rosie shows off for me, it's only polite to watch," he explained. I saw mirth in his eyes as he watched Al turn purple.

"I don't know what you two have going on now, but it has to stop!" He shouted.

"Al, what is the big _deal_?" I questioned. "Malfoy and I don't _exactly_ hate each other right now, and you have to be okay with that."

"But I _can't_ be okay with that! Merlin, Rosie, I thought the bet was a joke! You guys weren't supposed to _actually_ like each other!"

"We don't!" I yelled, turning red.

"It seems like you do! I promised him that I would protect you," Al sulked.

"_Who_ did you promise, Al?" I said, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh...nobody?"

"Albus Severus Potter, you tell me who you made that promise to right now!" I threatened.

"Uncle Ron," he mumbled quietly, as if hoping that I wouldn't care. Of course, I did.

"And _what_ did you promise my dad?"

"That you wouldn't become friends with Malfoy."

"And _why _did you promise this to him?"

"He said that he'd give me 70 galleons, 10 for each year."

"So you have purposefully been keeping Malfoy and I hating each other? Just for some money? Anyway, you already have 60. You don't need the next 10."

To prove a point, I grabbed Malfoy's wrist and pulled him forcefully out of the hall with me. Merlin, I really have to stop trying to prove points. My life would be so much simpler. I suppose it's just my Gryffindor pride, or my dad's stubbornness.

I started pacing randomly around the entrance hall, while Malfoy watched, looking amused.

"You're hot when you're angry Weasley," he commented.

"_That bastard_," I muttered.

"Why does it even matter to you?"

"Because we might not have hated each other for six years! How does that not bother you?"

"Well, if I'm being honest, I don't think that we needed Al to make us hate each other."

"Well, he still doesn't have the right to tell us not to be friends now!"

"Technically, I'm not exactly interested in friendship," he informed me, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I know that, you're interested in the bet!" I said, waving his comment off with a flick of my hand, "And I'm interested in making you feel stupid! It doesn't mean that we can't be friends...kind of," I said. He didn't interrupt me, because he knew I was right. Some really weird part of me wanted him to say something like, 'No! I'm in it for more than the bet,' but he didn't. He just kept teasing me.

"That has to be the first time I've ever flirted with you and you didn't blush."

I blushed when he said this. My face should go die in a hole.

"Oh, just kidding," he said, laughing.

"You shouldn't change the subject while I'm ranting," I told him.

"You shouldn't change the subject when I'm embarrassing you. I guess we're even."

"I just-"

"Weasley, I don't want you getting mad at your dad because of this, or at Al. It sounds like he was just looking out for you. Al knows how charming I am with girls. Probably didn't want us to be friends since he knew that you would, undoubtedly, fall in love with me. Now, be a good girl, and go to apologize to him," he ended patronizingly.

"I won't," I said defiantly.

"Why?" he moaned, frustrated.

"I'm trying to prove a point."

"Weasley, you have to stop doing that."

"...Maybe."

"Just do it! You're only going to keep complaining about him until you do."

"So? You're the only one that I would complain to, and I don't really care if you're annoyed or not."

_Rosie, you have to be the worst flirter ever. _

"There are better things you could be doing all day than complaining to me."

"Like what?"

"Snogging?" He suggested.

"Oh. Yeah, that could work too."

"So then, go talk to your cousin."

I held my hand out toward him.

"Hold my hand? It would make me feel so much better if you helped me," I said, with a innocent yet mocking tone.

I needed to remember that when two people were flirting together, the other one would take any chance that was given to them.

I really should have thought of that earlier.

He gladly accepted my hand, and proceeded to drag me into the great hall, all the way in front of the teacher's table (which meant in front of every houses' table, because Gryffindor was furthest from the door), and pulled me all the way so that I was standing right in front of Al.

"You can let go now," I hissed at him, blushing from all the people staring at us curiously.

"I don't want to," he said simply.

"If Al is really worried about us liking each other, then us holding hands while I talk to him doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Should have thought of that before you offered."

"You two are obviously having your own conversation, so I'll just wait!" Al butted in.

"What? Oh! Right! Well, I wanted to come and tell you that, even though the idea of Malfoy and I ever being a couple is absolutely the most insane thing I've heard in my life, and you would need to be a moron to even think that-"

"Rose, this doesn't really sound like an apology," Malfoy whispered in my ear.

"Oh, oops. Anyways, you need to know that he and I are...friends, sort of, and you really need to accept that. After this year, we probably will never see each other again, so you don't have to worry about long term issues either. I also want you to know that I...um...am rambling, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Malfoy and Al said together.

"What do you mean by friends, sort of? You either are or aren't," Al said, glaring at us.

"Then, I think I'de have to go with yes. Yeah, we are friends. Or at least kind of friendly-"

"You can say that again," Malfoy snorted.

"Quit interrupting!" I hissed.

"What does he mean by that Rosie?" Al asked. Anna, Alice, Hugo and Lily were now all listening as well. They hadn't officially joined the conversation, but we were standing next to them, and they had all stopped talking abruptly, and were leaning back in their seats, ears turned toward us. They would make excellent spies, if I do say so myself. They were practically invisible. I rolled my eyes, and then turned back to Al and Malfoy.

"What does he mean by what?" I asked, trying to pretend that I hadn't heard him, while I stomped on Malfoy's foot. He winced, but Al didn't seem to notice.

"What does he mean when he says that you two have been very friendly?"

"Well, being 'friendly' is a loose term," I said, but Al didn't buy it, so he looked at Malfoy.

"Scorpius, what did you mean?"

"I meant that Weasley believes that she can out-flirt me. You could say we're having a bit of a competition."

I looked at Al's face, and tried to make what Malfoy said sound better.

"I wouldn't say competition! We really hardly talk to reach other! I haven't flirted with him all year. You can tell dad that. I know he'd be happy to hear it. You know that I wouldn't do something like that. Malfoy's lying, and...yeah," I finished lamely.

"So, last night, when you said 'You can look, but don't touch" you weren't flirting?" Malfoy's made his impersonation of me very girlish and breathy.

"I didn't say it like that!" I nearly shouted at Al.

"What about when you asked if anything was distracting me while wearing...less than the appropriate amount of clothing?" He smiled.

"I wasn't talking about me!" I explained to Al, who looked ready to puke.

"What about when you called me Scorpy?"

"I don't remember doing that," I blushed.

"I remember hearing it. What about when you snogged me for 30 seconds? If I remember correctly, your legs was wrapped around me at some point and your hands were-"

"You really aren't helping the situation!" I screamed at him.

"Rosie! I didn't know you had it in you!" Lily giggled as she bounced up from her seat, clearly done pretending that she wasn't listening. The other three came to join us as well.

"Maybe we could continue this conversation somewhere else," I suggested, looking around at the many people who were clearly listening to us.

"No! We are staying right here, while my cousin Rose tells me why the hell she thinks it is a good idea to snog my best friend!" AL shouted at the top of his lungs.

_Hmmm...I feel like some people on the other side of the world in a coma couldn't quite hear that._

"Al, McGonagall will give Malfoy and I the most uncomfortable speech known to man if she hears you. Please keep your voice down," I muttered at him. Then, I took a step away from Malfoy, so that nobody would start to connect the dots of what Al had just announced to the whole hall. Some people turned back to their food, assuming that our talking would stay at this volume level, and there was no point in trying to listen anymore.

"Fine, lets talk outside," Al huffed. The seven of us walked through the door and out to the grounds, Al leading the way.

When I realized that he was trying to lead us down to the tree by the lake, I whipped around and tried to make a run for it. Unfortunately, Malfoy easily grabbed my arm. I continued struggling against him, but he just smirked.

"What Rosie? You don't want to tell them about how we spend our hours off?" Malfoy said in a fake whisper, just loud enough for Al to hear. He didn't acknowledge it though, so I hoped that he hadn't.

By now, we had reached the tree, and everybody sat down, except for Al, who leaned against the tree trunk. His hand kept flying up to his hair, messing it up, putting his hand back down, and then repeated the process.

"So do all of the people in your family play with their hair to calm themselves down?" Malfoy asked.

"No, dad says that I must have gotten it from my grandfather. Why?" Al asked.

"No reason," I told him through gritted teeth, speaking for Malfoy.

"No, actually it's because Rose plays with her hair when she gets nervous, or mad, or sad, or excited, or-"

"He gets the idea!" I interrupted.

"Okay, I have..." Al considered for a moment, "Four questions for you two to answer me on. Okay?"

"Okay," I said nervously, grabbing a small bit of my hair, and twirling it around in my fingers.

"Alright, number one: What do you guys do during your hour off that has to do with this tree?"

I groaned inwardly. He _did_ hear!

"We just come out here, and watch the lake, and today we played a game where we had to go back and forth, naming thing that the other didn't know about." I said.

"Yeah, and I take my shirt off," Malfoy added, grinning. "Rosie must have just forgotten to include that."

Al stared at me hardly, while Alice, Lily, and Anna started clapping, and started saying things like, 'Take a picture for me tomorrow!' Al glared at them.

"Fine, number two: Rosie, why he hell are you flirting back at him?"

"Umm," I felt myself going red, "I guess that I just wanted to prove that he couldn't just embarrass me and get away with it."

Somehow, I still am," Malfoy laughed. "Rosie just has a natural gift for embarrassing herself. She can't seem to do it that well to other people though."

He was right, but I didn't say anything.

"Number three: Where were you two this morning?"

Wow. Had our visit to the hospital wing only been a few hours ago? It seemed like forever.

"At the hospital wing, because klutzy Weasley over here hit her head and passed out," Malfoy said.

"Yeah, but it was his fault!" I explained to the others. "He was in my room when I woke up, and-"

"Why were you in her room?" Al asked sharply.

"Because he's a creepy stalker," I said hurriedly. "But anyways, he was there when I woke up, and I got freaked out, and accidentally hit my head on the back wall. I wake up, I'm in the hospital wing, and he's trying to convince Madame Pomphrey that he just found me unconscious. She says that she is going to give me some hallucination medicine, because I was talking about how he had actually been in my room, but he kept saying that he wasn't and I must have imagined it. So, he convinces me he wasn't there, and then I say that it's okay to take the medicine. _Then_ he convinced me to skip the rest of Herbology and come down here with him," I gestured to the tree, "And then he told me that he actually had been in my room, and was making fun of me for falling for it." I finished, taking short and shallow breaths, seeing as I had made my whole speech in only one breath.

"But Weasley, you forgot the best part! Madame Pophrey told us that if you took this medicine when you actually hadn't had hallucinations," this would be the part where I tried to cut him off, but I couldn't manage to take a deep enough breath to speak, "then it would make you more sexually active." He looked at me and grinned. "I still can't believe you fell for that."

"Scorpius, you gave my sister a medicine that would make her get really horny?" Hugo asked him quietly. For the first time in my life, I thought I could here a hint of protection from my little brother's voice, like he actually cared about me. Evidently, Malfoy could hear it too, because he nodded, but the grin feel from him face.

Then Hugo's face completely changed, back to it's normal irritating expression, and he exploded in laughs.

"That's bloody brilliant! How did you keep a straight face while she drank it? How did she react? Has she snogged you yet? How long does it take for it to kick in? When do you think-"

"Hugo!" Al shouted, and Hugo fell silent, but his grinned stayed on his face. "That isn't funny! He shouldn't have done that," he said protectively.

"Actually Al, it's hilarious," Hugo said, which Malfoy grinned at. Al ignored him, and moved on to the fourth question.

"Alright, last question: Do either of you have any romantic feelings for each other?" He eyed us both shrewdly.

"No!" We both said quickly. We looked at each other, and then turned away. Both of us were smirking (at the others response), and blushing (at our own response).

"Yeah, because we are going to believe that," Anna snorted.

"Okay, we've answered the questions. Are we free?" I asked.

"I guess so," Al said slowly, and I jumped up, running off, "But don't get too carried away with this damn bet!" He yelled after me. I didn't pay attention.

Today had been humiliating, but I had learned valuable lessons.

**1)** Don't let Malfoy tell Al anything. Period.

**2)** Don't expect to shout about snogging Malfoy in the great hall, and not have some rumors be spread.

**3)** Don't think that your brother can change, because he can't.

**4)** Don't let Malfoy be a better flirter than you.

**5)** Don't let Malfoy feed you medicine that makes you, later that night, jump on him, tackle him to the ground, and snog him for 10 minutes. Though it might seem like a good idea then, he will later tell your overprotective cousin about it, and won't stop teasing you about it for the next month.

**A/N: I just want to say thank you to all of the people who reviewed and subscribed to the story! This is my first fanfiction, so please tell me what you think! **

**I had written the first seven chapters when I had some days off from school, so the updates will come slower from now on, but you should expect the next chapter about two days after the previous one. Once I have summer vacation, I can update more.**

**I also have no idea how long this story is going to be! I'm 8 chapters in, and we've only gotten to the main part a chapter ago. I do already know how I want the story to end...and lets just say that we have a ways to go ;)**

**Also, I want to respond to a review left by CrimsonBludger83. Yes, I do realize that you don't have Malfoy's insight on the story yet, and I want to do something about that. One of two things: I can right some chapters from his POV, or I can write a companion story to this one, so each of the chapters in both of them would correspond, but each chapter from his perspective? Which of these do you think I should do? **

**Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!**

**Sorry about this insanely long author's note.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was now early December, so we weren't going to the lake anymore. I mean, I missed seeing him shirtless by the beach, but I didn't miss his company or anything. Though he was now coming with me to the library every free hour. I was studying for my NEWTS religiously, and he loved distracting me. He still enjoyed playing the game where we tell the other things that they don't know about us. He had a way of really listening to what I said.

I hadn't been flirting with him as much, because I found the whole process sickening, and couldn't do it without cracking up, or just cracking, and shooting some scathing insult at him.

"Malfoy, can you pass me that chicken?"

"Sure you can trust me, Weasley? You never know what I might've slipped into it."

"Malfoy, it's been a month since that unpleasant event. Just forget about it. Okay?"

"But I can't Weasley! You were just so hot, in more ways than one-"

"Scorpius!"

The seven of us were at the dinner table, Malfoy and I flirting/arguing as usual.

"Sorry Al, but I didn't ask her to tackle me..."

"You practically did when you gave me that medicine."

"Technically Madame Pomphrey did that," Hugo added helpfully.

"Very funny Hugo."

"I try my best."

"Malfoy, you still haven't passed me that chicken."

He ignored me.

"I guess you're right Weasley. I really shouldn't keep giving you a hard time about it," he considered.

"Thank you," I replied stiffly.

"After all, its not like you haven't done it again since..."

"I'm sorry, what?" Al interrupted. He always seems to be doing that.

"Malfoy, last night _you_ attacked _me_! I was going to be nice enough to not mention it but I guess if you really want me to-"

"_YOU ATTACKED HER?_"

"C'mon Rosie, lets not exaggerate," Malfoy said uncomfortably. I smirked at him.

"Yes, because talking to me on the couch for 15 minutes, then jumping on top of me while I'm in the middle of a sentence doesn't count as attacking," I said sarcastically.

Al was looking back and forth between the two of us, with a look of hopelessness or disgust (I couldn't really tell).

"What about a week ago, when you-" Malfoy was cut off.

"Can we _please_ talk about something else?" Al said shakily. His face looked like it was turning green. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Oh, thank Merlin! Yes, lets drop this subject," Lily agreed quickly.

"Fine, what do you want to talk about?" I asked, purposefully turning my back to Malfoy. He scooted closer to me, so that he could here our conversation as well. While he did so, he put his hand on my back. I felt my whole body tense up. I felt a shiver run down my spine, but it wasn't quite a bad feeling. I automatically reached up to grab a strand of my red hair. As I reached up, he grabbed my hand, and held on to it tightly. I tried to pull my hand out, but he just laughed lightly.

"Not going anywhere, Weasley," he teased. I blushed.

"If you two would stop talking, maybe we could change the subject more easily," Alice said.

"Right," I said. I tried to move my head back to my friend's direction, but my eyes locked with Malfoy's, and I couldn't look away. They were just the perfect color. Really dark grey, and a hint of stormy blue in them. Funny, I had never noticed that blue before.

"So are you planning on looking at us while we talk of not?" Anna said sounding agitated.

"Oh, sorry," I blushed, while Malfoy smirked. His hand was still on my back. That bastard.

"Anyways, what is everyone doing over the Christmas holiday?" Al asked loudly, clearly saying the first thing that came to mind, just so he could stop thinking about Malfoy and I.

"Going to visit my great Aunt and Uncle. They live in America," Anna said.

"Just Christmas at home like usual. Oh, and we're going over to the Burrow for New Years, aren't we?" Alice asked.

"Of course! You're family always comes over," I replied.

"Yeah, and the_ rest_ of the wizarding world," Hugo reminded us. Al, Alice, Lily and I all groaned. Every year at New Years, hundreds of people would show up at my grandparent's house. It was practically a wizard covention. It was the holiday where we invited everyone, and I do mean everyone. It was a huge party, with so much food, activities, alcohol, and, the most important part, the famous Golden Trio. Almost everyone there came to celebrate this holiday at the Burrow so that they could merely shake our family's hands. There were sometimes thousands of people there. It was always fun when I had friends there, but the constant stream of people coming up to us and telling us how amazing our parents were got very tiring.

For the past few years, Al, Hugo, Lily and I had been having competitions to see who could come up with the weirdest responses whenever someone said this (my favorite was when someone asked Al what it was like living in the same house as Harry Potter, and he responded: "Well, it gets pretty awkward, since he walks around naked so much,").

"I'm just gonna be at the Burrow the whole time," I said. "New Years gets irritating, but the rest is always amazing! The garden gnomes-"

"And the sweaters-" Hugo said.

"And staying up all night-" Lily said.

"And the food-" Al sighed happily.

"And the presents-" Lily continued.

"And walking in on Teddy and Victoire snogging-" I added.

And the practical jokes," Hugo finished.

We all laughed, but knew it was true. The pranks we pulled during Christmas holiday were so amazing, that even Uncle George had to give us a standing ovation sometimes.

"What about you Malfoy?" Alice asked.

"Oh, my parents are going on some cruise, so I don't really know."

"Well, my parent like you okay, you could probably come to the Burrow," Al suggested.

"No, he couldn't!" I shouted. "That is a really bad suggestion Al. Besides, I thought that you hated our flirting? You wouldn't want to put up with that all weekend! And I don't get any time away from him! We live together! Time at home was my one safe place! You can't just take that away from me Al. You have to think this through before you just suggest random and stupid things. Besides, I'm sure Malfoy wouldn't want to-"

"That sounds excellent Al. Thank you so much for the invitation!" Malfoy smirked. "And you don't have to worry about Weasley and I flirting."

"But I thought that you were doing it to win the bet. If you stop, won't it mess up any plan you had?" Hugo asked.

"Oh, no, of course it won't! I said you don't have to worry about it. I didn't say we would actually stop. Besides, if we do it in front of your relatives, it will be more entertaining than disturbing. I can just imagine your dads' faces!" He laughed toward Al and I.

"Malfoy, I'm just going to ignore you the whole time, So there's no point in coming," I warned.

"Fine! Then I'll just tell them stories about this year. Hugo, you'll back me up won't you?"

Hugo nodded eagerly, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"Of course! There's nothing I love more than embarrassing Rosie Posie!"

"Malfoy! You can't do that! Please, just don't come to the Burrow. It'll make both our lives so much easier! I had to work really hard to convince Neville not to tell them about the bet, and you can't just go and ruin that," I said through gritted teeth. I was really going to have to beg, wasn't I?

"Oh, but I can."

"Malfoy, please don't come."

"Al already invited me. It would be rude to say no," he said innocently.

"Malfoy, I am _begging_ you-"

Are you really?" He asked, looking interested. "You know what, I'll make you a deal. I will not come to the Burrow, if you take off your shirt."

"Excuse me?" I spluttered.

"I doubt you need me to repeat it."

"But...I...That is so...why...where?" I finally managed to get out.

"Here," he said simply.

"HERE? In the great hall? In front of everybody? And all the teachers?" I exclaimed.

"Yes. And you have 10 seconds to make your decision."

I just gaped at him. What type of sick, perverted mind makes that the first thing they think to ask me?

"Time's up," Malfoy said. "Guess I'm coming to the Burrow."

He shot me one last trademark smirk, threw his bag over his shoulder, and walked casually out of the hall. I watched him leave, my mouth still open, then I turned on Al.

"What were you thinking? You couldn't just say 'Oh, that's too bad'? You had to invite him over? Why would you do that?"

"Sorry Rosie! I just wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't thinking. And now I'm screwed! Dad is going to kill me!"

I waited for Al to reply, but noticed that he couldn't. His body was shaking from laughter too much. I saw that Hugo, Alice, Anna, and Lily, were all in the same fit of hysterics.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" I asked. None of them could respond in full sentences, but Hugo managed to gasp out a few word.

"Your...face...priceless!" He wheezed. This sent them all into another round of laughter. There were tears streaming from their eyes. They were bent over, and they were all shaking like crazy. After about five minutes of this, they all wiped the tears from their eyes, still smiling.

"Sorry Rosie, but when he said that to you, you really should've seen your face!" Alice exclaimed.

"It's not funny," I sulked.

"Yes, it is," Lily corrected in a matter-of-fact tone. "One of these days, you need to except that you are really _fun _to embarrass, and really _easy_ to embarrass. I think I'll laugh harder than I ever have before at Christmas."

"Oh, _shit_," I grumbled.

"Don't worry Rosie," Hugo said sweetly. "I'm sure Malfoy won't be the only one embarrassing you! Oh, and if we split into teams for the pranks again this year, I call him on my side! And Rosie on the other," On that comforting note, Hugo got up from the table, and skipped happily out of the hall.

I got back to the common room, and saw Malfoy sitting at his desk (there were two desks in the room for both of us). He was quickly scribbling a note on it, and his owl was perched next to him.

"Whatchya doin' Scorpy?" I asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Oh crap. There I go, flirting again. I can't back down now.

"Oh, just writing to dad and Mr. Potter, seeing if it's okay," he responded brightly.

"Oh, great," I said in my most fake happy voice.

"You don't have to pretend," he commented.

"I'm not pretending!" I said, sounding aghast that he would think such a thing. "I really want you to come."

"No, I mean pretending by telling your family that you don't want me to come. It's so clear that you can't wait for Christmas break," he grinned.

"I..." I was in a bit of a bad situation. If I disagreed, it would mean I stopped flirting, and would've lost this battle. If I agreed, he would tell anybody with ears that I couldn't wait to spend two weeks with him. Two weeks. Oh Merlin. "Um...Yeah sure, I can't wait." I twirled a piece of my hair between two of my fingers. He leaned down, and quickly finished writing his letters. His large owl flew down, and grabbed both letters in its beak the moment he was done sealing them. It immediately swooped out the window, and I watched it go. My stomach lurched. There was no way to stop those letters now. I would have to accept that my Christmas break would have Malfoy included in it. I turned around to look at him again.

"Great! Can't wait!" I said happily. It was actually some of my best acting. "So, what are you going to get me for Christmas?" I asked. He was still sitting at his desk chair, and I decided to sit down on his lap. I threw my arms around his neck as I said this.

"Whatever you want Rosie," he replied, smirking.

_I am in so far over my head_, I thought.

"Hmm...Lets see," I considered, resting my head on his shoulder. Actually, it was more on his elbow, because that was how far my head could reach. "I'm not sure, what do you think I would like?" I looked up into his eyes. He gazed back down at me, a smirk playing at the edges of his lips.

"I don't know, what do you think you're family would like me to give you? I presume that since I will be there, I'll give you you're present in front of them? I could give you an expensive piece of jewelry, see how your dad reacts...I could get you a nightie that looks like the one your cousin got for you...I could give you a coupon for free sex, and see how anybody reacts to that. Actually, I think I would pay at least 20 galleons to see anyone in your family react to that."

"Scorpy, don't me mean," I pouted, gently rubbing his chest with my hand.

"Well Rosie, you don't have to worry about what I'm going to get you, because presents are supposed to be surprises! But you should definitely think about what you'll get me," he winked, and then stood up quickly. This caused me to tumble ungracefully to the ground. He smirked at my tangled mess of limbs. I glared up at him.

"Night Weasley," he smiled, and turned down the hallway that leads to our rooms. I just looked at his back, planning my revenge.

Of course, Uncle Harry and Mr. Malfoy both wrote back that Malfoy coming for Christmas would be fine. The Malfoy's weren't leaving on their cruise until the day after break starts, so Scorpius would go back to Malfoy Manor, then floo the Burrow once they were gone.

Part of me was actually excited for Malfoy to come. After all, James (Harry and Ginny's first son) had graduated, but really hadn't grown up at all. He always joined us for our pranking war, as did Fred (George and Angelina's son), Molly (Percy's daughter), Dominique (Bill and Fleur's daughter), and countless other cousins. But James and Fred had always had a soft spot for me, especially if I batted my eyelashes and asked them sweetly. I could easily convince them to be on my team in the pranking war.

As I said, having Malfoy there might actually be pretty fun.

**A/N: Sorry this took me so long to write! My life is pretty cray-cray right now. Luckily, I'm finally off from school! I will have nothing to do but obsess over Starkid, Harry potter, and write fan fiction then. Wow, that makes me sound like I have no life. I do! I promise!**

**Anyways, I'de like more feedback on what you want to see from Scorp's POV. I think I have ruled out just putting some chapters in from his POV, because I want this whole story to be from Rose. So, I will narrow it down to these two choices:**

**A companion piece, with all the same chapters, just from Scorpius.**

**A sequel, where it shows Scorp looking back on their time together. That could also be a sequel, with flashback parts in it.**

**Love to everyone who reads this, and super duper love to anybody who reviews!**

**P.S. This chapter is dedicated to Lila VanAlsburg :,(**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A few weeks passed without much interruption. I was just studying like crazy. Malfoy wasn't trying to attract me as much anymore, which I was incredibly thankful for. He was still giving me tons of attention though. Every time we were together, he wanted to play the game where we told the other something they didn't know. He had officially named it 'You Don't Know'. Then, of course, it was time to go to the Burrow.

During the past few weeks, a new and terrifying thought had dawned upon me.

My birthday is December 27. My birthday would always be during the winter break. Because of this, Malfoy had never found out my birthday. His was March 26. I knew that because he would always receive his birthday presents from people then. I would always send him some present that would explode or do something embarrassing. The first time I did that, in first year, he had been furious, and demanded that Al tell him when my birthday was. I had convinced Al to keep quiet, by using threats, that he apparently he took very seriously, because seven years had passed, and Malfoy still didn't know my birthday. Now, Malfoy would be with me for my birthday. This vacation was going to be more like hell than I thought it would.

"Oi! Rosie! A little help?" Hugo shouted, lugging his trunk down the platform in Hogsmeade. I had already gone in, found a good compartment, and placed my luggage in it. I was now leaning casually against a fence, watching everyone else struggle on to the train.

"Sorry Hugo, but you probably wouldn't want my help with luggage!" I shouted back. "I might try to get revenge for what you did at the beginning of the year."

He glared at me, but didn't argue. I heard a loud laugh from somewhere on the platform, but couldn't figure out where it came from. Then, Malfoy's face emerged from the crowd. He had evidently heard my response to Hugo. He walked casually up to lean next to me. His luggage must already be on the train.

"Oh, you can't say that you didn't enjoy that Weasley," he smirked.

"Telling you how hot you were and how I wanted to be snogging you? Yeah, I really enjoyed that," I muttered sarcastically.

"I find it very amusing that we aren't even half way thorough the year, and you're already starting to fall in love with me, Malfoy stated. I glared up at him.

"Where are you getting this false information, Malfoy?"

"Well, just when I said that, you blushed," he started, "And you haven't directly insulted me since I came to stand by you."

"That's your proof that I'm falling in love with you? You mean for the 20 second you've been standing next to me?" I questioned.

"Yup. It's a new record," he laughed. For the first time, his laugh wasn't harsh, mean, or laughing at my embarrassment. It was a real laugh, as if we were just two friends joking around with each other. _His natural laugh is pretty sexy_, I thought. When he isn't being a complete jerk, he can be hot, maybe a little bit- Rose! Wake up! This is Malfoy! I shook my head, to get the thoughts to leave my brain. Malfoy saw my head twitch, and smirked.

"Thinking about something, Weasley?" He questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"No," I said quickly, and he laughed. Remember when I said that he had just laughed in a way that wasn't at my embarrassment? Yeah, that was short lived.

"Oh Rosie, you're just so hot when you're embarrassed!" he exclaimed, throwing an arm around my shoulder. I felt myself cringe slightly, but didn't try to wiggle out. Showing weakness was not something I dealt with lightly.

"Oi! Lovers!" Lily shouted at us. I looked up at her automatically, while Malfoy smirked again.

"Oh, knew she was talking to us when she said lovers, did you?" he whispered seductively in my ear, and I could feel my body quivering. Remember when I said he hadn't been flirting with me for a few weeks? Yeah, that was short lived too.

"Get on the freakin' train!" Lily yelled, clearly not realizing Malfoy had said anything to me.

"Okay fine, we're coming! Jeez," I muttered to her. Still with his arm around me, he steered us over to a door on to the train, Lily following close behind. We found the compartment that I had claimed with my luggage, now with four other people in it. Hugo had moved where I had deliberately but my luggage, so that he was now in that seat. Lily quickly claimed her seat, which left two open seats, for Malfoy and I.

"Bastard," I whispered to Hugo as I passed him.

"What did I do?" He asked innocently.

"Took my seat you jerk."

Oh c'mon Weasley, you know you want to sit next to me!"

"Whatever, Malfoy."

I glanced at Al, making sure he was okay with us sitting next to each other. Luckily, ever since he had freaked out about us flirting, he had calmed down. He was still protective of me, but understood that what Malfoy and I were doing wasn't because we liked each other. In fact, he was becoming less protective about it, and was starting to find it as amusing as Hugo did.

Al grinned at me at I sat down next to Malfoy. My whole family was turning on me.

I felt the ground underneath us jerk slightly. With a glance out the window, I knew that the Hogwarts Express was now moving. Great. Sitting next to Malfoy for eight hours.

I pulled my latest book out from my bag. I drew my knees up so that my chin was resting on them, and made a little blanket by using my school cloak. I now had a little bit of a nest in my seat, and snuggled down to read for hours. It was harder that you might thing though, since Malfoy was sitting so close to me. My feet and legs kept bumping against his thighs, and I blushed every time they did so. He just stared at me reading, and smirked every time I touched him. The rest of the compartment was watching us, waiting for someone to say something. After about an hour, Malfoy finally spoke.

"Weasley, you look far to awkward pressed into your seat to even get any reading done," he told me. Before I could say anything, he grabbed my feet, and had pulled them up, over, and then dropped them again, so that my legs were draped casually over his lap. I could feel my face turning scarlet, and snapped my book shut.

"Malfoy, I'de appreciate it if you didn't touch me with out permission," I said, holding my head high in the air while glaring at him. He sighed.

"Fine Rosie, do you want to stretch your feet out over me?" He asked sarcastically, speaking slowly like I was two years old. I considered him for a moment, then turned back to my book.

"Sure, why not," I said simply. Not sure why I said that.

And so I sat like that, for the next three hours. It was surprisingly comfortable, and I got tons of reading done, but not as much as I would have. Malfoy had nothing better to do than stroke my legs softly the whole time, and stare at me reading. Though I never acknowledged him, I would sometimes just stare blankly at my page, pretending to read, while my insides where freaking out. Strangely, I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. The type of butterflies you get when the person you like is touching you. Very weird...

At about the four hours mark, the candy lady came into our compartment. We all got tons of stuff, and I put my book down to eat and chat with the rest of them. Before the candy lady left, she looked at me, with my legs stretched over Malfoy.

"Ah, young love," she said fondly, then walked out, leaving me to bury my face in my hands from embarrassment.

"Don't worry about that Rose," Alice assured me.

"Yeah, but, when you look like that...you do sort of look like a couple," Hugo added, grinning.

"Shut up," I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Rosie, was your book good?" Malfoy asked mockingly, changing the subject, with the damn glint in his eye. He knew something I didn't. I studied his face, and saw him secretly wink toward Al. Shit.

"Yeah, it was fine," I said cautiously, wondering what the two of them were smirking about.

"That's what I thought," Malfoy said, hardly able to keep some laughter out of his voice. "In fact, I think it was so good, that you were pretty distracted by it for a while. Barely even noticed what the rest of us were doing."

"What about it Malfoy?" I asked.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I saw Al take a picture of us, but I didn't want to take your attention away from the book, so I didn't bring it up," Malfoy grinned.

"Al!" I shouted.

"Sorry Rose! He talked me into helping him with the bet," Al admitted. He held a photograph up to me, which he had been hiding behind his back. It was a moving picture, so I knew that they had somehow developed this picture the magical way while I was reading. How did I not notice?

The picture showed Malfoy gently stoking my legs that were stretched out on top of him. I was grinning from ear to ear. I'm pretty sure I had been laughing at something in my book, but this picture made it look like I enjoyed him touching my legs. I glared up at Malfoy and Al, who were sniggering together.

"So it is just your plan to make this vacation a living hell for me?" I asked, with malice in my voice. "You better not show this to anyone, Al," I warned.

"We weren't planning on it," Malfoy informed me, "We are just going to use it as blackmail. Just do what I tell you to do, and I won't accidentally leave this in the kitchen."

"You can't blackmail me! Besides, what would you make me do?" I asked suspiciously.

"Tell me when your birthday is," Malfoy said quickly. I exhaled, and rolled my eyes. Of course that is what he wanted to know.

"December 27," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't hear me, but he did.

"Excellent!" He cried, clapping his hands together. "Jeez, I've been waiting seven years for this Weasley!" He smirked.

"You do realize that that giving me bad presents on my birthday or embarrassing me in front of my family is really not going to help you win the bet, don't you?"

"Ah, but it will! You see, when I do embarrassing things to you, they wouldn't embarrass you if you truly weren't in love with me. The more I do this, the more infuriated you get with me, but the more you will fall in love with me as well. It's like you are attracted to the things that you hate," he chuckled at my red face.

"That is total crap Malfoy. Why would I be more attracted to you while you were driving me crazy?"

"Because there's something about the bad-boy thing that really intrigues you. As much as you want to deny it, you fall in love with me more each time we argue. Have you ever noticed that on the days we argue more, you always snog me senseless later that day?" He said the whole thing as though my attraction to 'bad-boys' was obvious.

I wasn't sure how to respond to his question, so I just ignored it. He took that to mean 'yes'.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly.

"Kay, lets stop talking about my older sister's snogging, shall we?" Hugo announced loudly. I nodded my head vigorously, and the subject changed. After an hour of so of talking, we started getting very tired. I took my legs off of Malfoy, straitened my self in my seat, and used my book bag as a foot stool so I could still lean back comfortably. I hadn't realized how tired I was until I closed my eyes. I was out in about five minutes.

"Weasley," a familiar voice whispered in my ear. I tried to ignore him, and snuggled my head deep into the arm of my teddy bear. Yes, I'm almost 17 and have a teddy bear. Get over it.

"Weasley," the voice repeated. I kept my eyes firmly shut, and hugged my teddy bear tightly.

That's when I realized that I hadn't gotten my teddy bear out before I went to sleep.

It is when I realized that my teddy bear was small, and whatever I was snuggling with now was very large.

It was when I realized that my teddy bear was stuffed, and whatever I had my arms and legs wrapped around (I could feel my legs wrapped around it, though I hadn't actually opened my eyes) was most certainly human.

That is when I realized that what I was using for a teddy bear was the body that belonged to the voice I had been trying desperately to ignore.

My eyes snapped open, and my arms, that were wrapped around his waist, shot off him. My head, that had been pressed gently into one of his arms, jerked backward. My legs, which were wrapped casually around his, sprang away. I felt my face burning, and looked up into the eyes of Scorpius Malfoy, with a bigger smirk than I had ever seen plastered on his face.

"Hey Weasley. Enjoy your nap?" he asked, grinning maliciously at me and cocking his head to the side.

"Go to hell Malfoy," I mumbled, avoiding eye contact with him. I looked out to the rest of the compartment. The other five were watching us, all of them cracking up. I glanced down at my watch and groaned. I had been asleep for three hours. For most of that, I had probably been wrapped around Malfoy.

Malfoy's hand came out and grabbed my chin gently. He forced my head up so that I was looking him in the eye.

"You seemed to really enjoy it," he grinned, the glint in his eye back.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" I barked at him, and the rest of my compartment.

"Because I didn't mind it at all, " Malfoy smiled mockingly.

"Especially with your sleep talking," Anna giggled, unable to keep herself from saying it.

"What are you talking about?" I asked sharply. Instead of just telling me, Hugo decided to demonstrate. He wrapped himself around Al like I had been around Malfoy just moments before. He started slowly rubbing his head against Al's arm.

"Mmm...Scorpius," he smiled with his eyes closed, pretending like he was having a dream about Malfoy. I just stared at Hugo, continuing to rub his head against Al, and making sickeningly happy noises. It was making me turn maroon, but if I looked away, I would see Malfoy. That would make it worse.

I honestly couldn't remember a thing about my dreams from the past three hours, but I'm glad. It would've been worse if I remembered what Malfoy and I had been doing in my dreams. If I could remember, I doubt I'de be able to look him in the eye for the rest of my life.

The other people in the compartment started cracking up at Hugo's impression.

"It isn't funny!" I fumed.

"Oh Rosie, it really is. Its actually incredible accurate," Alice told me, giggling.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath.

"If it makes you feel any better, we got a lot of pictures of it!" Hugo offered.

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "More blackmail. Just what I need."

"Well, as enjoyable as the last three hours were," Malfoy grinned, "It is time for us to get off the train."

I realized the train was no longer moving. We all got out of our seats, and gathered up all of our luggage. I tried to keep myself as far away from Malfoy as I possibly could, while he had the opposite plan. He was constantly trying to stand just slightly closer, and see when I would blush. He found out that if he was just within five feet of him, I would turn red, a fact that he enjoyed immensely.

We finally clambered off the train. All of our cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents were waiting for us at the platform. The moment I stepped off the train, I heard shouts form James and Fred, who graduated last year.

"Rosie!" They yelled in unison, and sprinted down to were I was. I dropped my bags, and allowed them to both carry me around the platform for a while. I took turns hugging all of my relatives.

After a while, Grandma Molly was starting to get impatient.

"Oh yes yes yes, it is lovely to see you all, but we can catch up more at the Burrow," she announced. Everyone starting walking toward the barricade that separated us to the muggle world, moving as a giant amoeba.

I ended up walking next to Malfoy, Uncle Harry, Hugo, and Al.

"Thank you for allowing me to visit Mr. Potter," Malfoy said politely. If only he was that innocent all the time. He will never let me forget that train ride, an we both know it.

"Scorp, you've know my son for seven years, and have been over to my house countless times. It is okay to call me Harry," my uncle laughed.

"Well then, thank you Harry," Malfoy said, laughing nicely.

"No problem! The winter holiday is always the best," Harry winked at us. James and Fred heard out conversation, and came to join us.

"You bet your ass it is!" James yelled.

"This is going to be the best pranking war ever," Fred exclaimed. "We want to split into two teams, so that the pranks will be epic, because they're designed to get more than one person."

"Fine with me," I said cheerfully. "I just want to be one the team with my two favorite cousins," I told James and Fred, winking at them. I specifically glared at Al.

"Oh jeez, what did you do to make her mad this time, Al?" Harry joked.

"Long sorry, but lets just say that I have photographic evidence of some stuff she doesn't want other people to know about."

"Enough said. Please, don't tell me any more. I don't want to know," Harry said quickly.

"Oh, and I want to be on the opposite team of Al and Malfoy. That okay?" I asked Fred and James, pretending like Harry and Al hadn't just said anything.

"I think that can be arranged," Fred smiled. I hugged him, and then ran up to go talk to Victoire about her recent engagement to Teddy. As I left, I heard them continue their conversation briefly.

"You'll want to watch out for her. I think she has it in for you," Harry muttered.

"Oh, I think I can find ways of distracting her from the pranks," Malfoy said. Without even looking behind me, I could here the smirk on his mouth.

"Don't let Ron hear you say stuff like that," Harry whispered to Malfoy.

"I won't," Malfoy reassured him. Then they had moved on to talking about Quidditch.

Good luck distracting me, Malfoy, I thought happily. Then I turned to Vicky, and asked her about her plans for the wedding.

**A/N: Okay, this is kind of a filler chapter, but I think it will lead into the pranking wars nicely.**

**If anybody had any thoughts, opinions, or questions, please review! I love you all!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

We must have looked pretty strange, about 15 red heads moving along in a huge clump on King's Cross Station. We got plenty of weird looks. It also didn't help that we had owls with us, or huge suitcases with the words 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' stamped on them. We all just ignored the muggle's weird looks, and eventually found ourselves next to the multiple cars that our family had brought. Stupid Lily and Hugo still weren't old enough to apparate, so we had to use muggle transportation. While the parents debated who would ride in which car, all of the kids continued with various conversations.

"So, I'm thinking that the bridesmaid dresses will be black with white stitching, so that they don't clash too much with all of your hair," Vicky was telling me excitedly.

"Vicky, _everything_ clashes with our hair," I sighed. "We can't all be gorgeous blondes like you."

"Well, black and white are supposed to go with everything," she told me, "and I think that since I'll be wearing white, and Teddy will be wearing black, we should make all of the outfits those colors, so that we all match."

"Okay, I see you've really thought this through," I said, holding my hands up in defeat, "I'll wear whatever you tell me to, and then change out the second I can."

"Thank you Rosie!" She squealed with excitement, and picked me up around the waist, spinning me around. I laughed at how easy she made it look.

"How are you that strong?" I asked her, when she set me down, right as Teddy came to join our conversation.

"Oh, she isn't! She's actually incredibly weak," Teddy informed me, laughing at Victoire's fake-indignant face. "You just weight like three pounds, so she can pick you up."

"Thanks for calling me weak," Vicky sulked.

"Oh, you know you love me, even when I'm mean," Teddy teased, leaning in toward her. She glanced up at him, and her frown broke into a grin. She stood up on her toes to lightly peck him on the lips.

"Aww, so sweet," I laughed at them. Teddy playfully punched me in the arm. I punched him back, slightly harder. He looked at me for a moment, and then pounced at me. I ran away quickly, but he chased after me. I started doing weird laps around the cars, with him following me the whole time. He caught up eventually (damn my short legs!), and picked me up.

"That wasn't nice Rosie," he told me seriously, though I could see the playfulness in his eyes. He was like the older brother I never had. Technically, all of my cousins were like siblings, so that isn't saying much, but in Teddy's case it is. He had always been quiet when he was little. Kind, but quiet. He had horror in his past that I could hardly imagine, with losing his parents before he was old enough to remember them. Once he met Vicky though, and started working at Hogwarts, his whole world was turned upside down. He was a great teacher, and he became so much more happy and friendly.

"Sorry, Professor," I mocked him, knowing that he had always thought it was weird when any of the Potters or Weasleys called him professor outside of school, since he had been 'Teddy' to us forever. He narrowed his eyes, then grabbed one of my feet, pulled off the shoe, and started tickling me. Damn him. He knows how ticklish I am.

I began screaming out with laughter, trying to pull my foot away from him, but finding that I could barely move because of him. I managed to wiggle out from his arms, and fell, ungracefully, on to the cement. Funny how I seem to always fall ungracefully, isn't it? I got up quickly, and ran away from Teddy as fast as I possibly could, still with one shoe off. I didn't look behind me, but could here him running after me.

I wasn't looking where I was going, just focusing on getting as far away from Teddy as I could. Tickling was probably my biggest weakness, except for seeing Malfoy with out his shirt on. Shit, I can't believe I just thought that.

My foot without the shoe hit a small bump in the cement, causing it to stumble. My other foot tripped over that leg, leaving me in a heap on the ground, legs bent in weird positions. I opened my eyes, after a moment of moaning in pain on the ground. I expected to see Teddy laughing down at me. Instead I saw him, a few meters away, standing next to Vicky, with a smirk on his lips. But there was still someone laughing down at me, even if it wasn't Teddy.

"I know you love me Weasley, but you don't have to fall at my feet," came Malfoy's drawling voice.

I leaned up and saw that my crumpled body had fallen right next to Malfoy. The rest of the children in the family were looking at us, all of them gaining the same smirk as Teddy. They found it funny when we argued. I was glad that the adults were still talking amongst themselves; otherwise my dad would've punched Malfoy as he said that. _But why would I not want Malfoy to be punched? _I thought curiously.

I got to my feet slowly, aware that I was only putting my weight on my right foot, since my left one felt like it was going to fall off from the pain.

Probably sprained it.

Fuck.

I hobbled awkwardly to Teddy, and held my hand out expectantly. He reluctantly placed my shoe in my hand, and I sat back down to put it on. I got back up, realizing that all of my cousins had become silent, waiting for me to burst out in a fit of rage. I could feel the embarrassment and anger bubbling inside me, but wasn't planning on actually doing anything. Until I got up, and looked at Malfoy.

His face had a mocking sneer and smirk on it. His hair was all messed up, making him look really sexy. That pissed me off. He had a daring look in his eyes, as though he was just begging me to scream at him. I wasn't going to give in, until I saw him roll his eyes. It was either because he was bored of waiting for me to scream, or knew that doing that would cause said screaming to start, because it would make me so mad. If it was the latter option he was right.

"Malfoy, I suggest you don't say anything more," I said, wanting to give him fair warning. There was a quiver in my voice that I only get when I'm trying to hide anger. He ignored me.

"You never told me you were so ticklish," he grinned. I turned my head to glare at Teddy, who just mouthed 'sorry,' but didn't mean it. If he was sorry, he wouldn't be cracking up.

I turned back toward Malfoy.

"Why he hell would I ever tell you that in the first place?"

"Because of 'You Don't Know'?" He suggested.

"Rosie, what is 'You Don't Know'?" James asked, eyeing us suspiciously. I threw my best I'm-going-to-kill-you glare at Malfoy, then responded.

"A game," I said evasively.

"What kind of game?" Fred asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Malfoy, I'm going to kill you," I whispered frantically under my breath. He laughed at my unfortunate situation.

"Why are you going to kill me?" He said loudly. I had sort for been hoping that James and Fred hadn't heard my comment, but now they certainly knew what I said. They each took a step closer to me.

"Why would you want to kill Malfoy for telling us about it?" James asked.

"Because its...Hogwarts stuff. We aren't going to talk about it outside of school. Right Malfoy?" I said, glaring at him.

"Nope, I never agreed to that. I can talk about Hogwarts as much as I like," he said smugly. "In fact, they should also probably know about the-" the adults turned around and Uncle George shouting, "Oi, everyone get over here, we have something to say," thankfully, interrupting him.

I sighed in relief, but could feel James and Fred's eyes on my back. This conversation was far from over.

We all circled around the adults. Aunt Ginny stepped forward and started directing people toward the cars they had been stationed in. I heard that I would be in my parent's car with mom, dad, Vicky, and Teddy. That wasn't too bad. At least I wasn't with Malfoy. I was relived, until Ginny told us who was in Harry's car.

"Okay, and finally, in Harry's, there will be me, Harry, Albus, James, Fred, Hugo, and Scorpius," she announced.

I felt my mouth drop, and my eyes widen. She had to be kidding. She had put any person that had information about me from this year in the same car as the two people who wanted that information. I saw that all of them were smirking at each other and myself, clearly aware of this too. I wouldn't even be in the car to stop them. By the time we got to the Burrow, James and Fred would know everything. That meant that within the next few hours, everybody would eventually hear, because you can't keep secrets in this family. Someone always slips up.

"Okay, everyone to your car!" Ginny ordered. People began moving around me, but I stood still.

"Don't worry Weasley," Malfoy's voice whispered suddenly in my ear. I jumped violently, and he laughed. "I'll only tell them everything," he smirked, and turned to walk toward his car.

"I can't wait for those 100 galleons!" I yelled lamely at his back, unable to think of a good comeback. I was trying to make it sound like my family knowing about 'You Don't Know', the bet, snogging, and the other stupid stuff I did this year didn't bother me.

"We'll just see," he said happily, without turning to look back at me.

After an hour-long car ride with Teddy and Vicky (both of them just snogged the whole time), we arrived at the Burrow. I jumped out of the car, and ran into the lopsided house as fast as my legs could carry me. I passed Malfoy, Al, Hugo, James, and Fred, standing in a large clump in the front yard as I went, but it only made me run faster.

"OI! ROSIE!" I heard James bellow at me as I ran past, but didn't stop.

"WE SORT OF HAVE SOMETHING TO ASK YOU!" Fred yelled at my back. I kept running. I opened the door, and sprinted inside. I ran up the steep stairs, until I reached the top landing. I could've just run into my father's old room, but I jumped into the attic instead (no weird creatures live in there anymore).

Ever since Molly and Arthur's first grandchild (Vicky) they had removed the ghoul and turned that top floor into a kid space. It was charmed to have something that all of the grandchildren would be interested in. As we got older, to room started to look less kid-ish, and more teen-ish. There were beanbags, a radio, books, tables, and other random stuff. The walls were a beautiful shade of light blue.

While I stayed at the Burrow, this room was my sanctuary. All of the kids would use it at some point, but at every opportunity I got to come up hear by myself, I took it. I could read, curled up in the windowsill, looking out over the fields. I could blare music, and dance around as much as I wanted.

When I had climbed into the room, I pulled out my wand. I would be seventeen in less than a week, and the trace would know that magic occurs in this house all the time. It really didn't matter if I used magic or not. I closed the trap door into the attic slowly, and preformed as many spells as I possibly could on the door, so that it wouldn't open, even if they tried Alohamora. I then turned on the radio, went to a muggle station, and listened to whatever songs they put on. Most of them were songs that I had never heard, but they were catchy, and helped me forget about the two mad cousins I had, probably looking for me. They would find me soon, but wouldn't be able to get in, I thought smugly. I went to sit in one of the windows that looks down over our front yard, expecting that everyone had already left to come inside. I glanced down, and realized with a shock that there was one person who was still outside. Malfoy.

He was smirking up at the window that I was now sitting in, as if he had known that I would appear there. He winked at me, and then walked into the house. I got out of the window, and pressed my ear to the trap door, listening for people downstairs. The sounds were muffled, but I could here Malfoy come in.

"She's in the attic," I heard him say.

"Excellent," James' voice said, sounding menacing.

"Okay, but Uncle Ron will be pissed if he finds out," I heard Lily's worried voice say.

"He won't find out," Fred said. "The adults are too oblivious to even care. It will just be our job to make sure all the cousins know, so that we can keep an eye on them."

"Hey!" Came Malfoy's indignant voice. "I think we can take care of ourselves."

"No, you can't. We can't leave you two alone anymore. What are we supposed to say? 'Kay, I know that Malfoy is trying to seduce our younger cousin, and she is really bad at resisting him, but why not just leave them alone for a while?'" James said sarcastically.

I heard Malfoy grunt, but he didn't say anything.

"So we have to just go talk to her," Fred said firmly. "I think it should be me, James, and Malfoy."

"And me!" I heard about ten other people shout. Great. All of my cousins were a part of the conversation now.

I got up from the ground, and went to sit in one of the beanbags. _Good luck getting up here, _I thought, grinning to myself. I just sat listening to the music for a while, until I heard tons of footsteps coming up the attic stairs. I heard someone try to open to door, but fail miserably. They must have stopped abruptly when they reached the door, because I heard other people grunting rudely at them.

"Rosie!" Fred shouted. "Let us in!"

As a response, I turned up the music, and just let myself get carried away by he sound. I closed my eyes, and drowned out the noise that my cousins were making. I was lost in the music, and planned on staying like that until they stopped talking about Malfoy and I. Not the most thought out plan I've ever had.

I guess I sort of dozed off while I was listening to music, because when I opened my eyes, I discovered every single one of my cousins plus Malfoy, Teddy, and Hugo gathered around me. I was in the center of a large circle, and could feel their stares on the back of my neck.

"Erm...hey," I said. "Not to be rude, but how the hell did you get in here?"

"Why the hell did you lock us out?" Roxy (George and Angelina's daughter) challenged.

Before I could answer, James interrupted.

"It's because she didn't want to talk to us about Malfoy!" James seethed.

"Yes! You're exactly right!" I shouted at him. "And no, it's not because I'm worried that you'll think I've fallen in love with him. It's because I don't want to talk about that bastard anymore than I already do! He's pretty much always with me at school, and I wanted to not have to deal with that during the best holiday all year! Then he had to show up for that too, and I don't want the only topic this holiday to be whether or not I fall for him. Anyways, we don't have to discuss that at all because I already know that I would never love such a moronic, pigish, mean, self centered person!" I finished my rant, and everybody hadn't dropped his or her gaze from me.

"Well Weasley, tell us how you really feel why don't you?" Malfoy sneered at me sarcastically.

"Can we just not talk about this subject, at all?" I asked Fred and James hopefully.

"We don't have to talk about it, but there is no way in hell we forgetting about it." James said, standing up, and everybody in the room started moving toward the trap door, except for me.

"In fact, we won't even intervene," Hugo winked at me. "I'm starting to see how your relationship with him is changing, and I think that just letting it unfold will be the most amusing way to deal with it."

I glare at him, but realize that even James and Fred's faces are breaking into evil grins. They have to be protective at first, because I'm their baby cousin, but once they get that part over with, they probably love embarrassing me as much as Hugo and Malfoy. In fact, all of my cousins do. This vacation is really going to suck.

"Okay, Malfoy, don't do anything too bad, will you?" James checked, as he began dessending the stairs.

"No promises," Malfoy smiled back.

"Alright, Rosie, we'll go pick teams, meet us in my room in 10 minutes, okay?" James asked, grinning.

"Why can't I just come with you?"

By this time, all of my cousins had gone down the staircase, and James was left, holding the trap door over his head. Only Malfoy and I were left in the room.

James didn't answer my question, merely winked at me, and closed the trap door.

It was then that I realized I was alone in a room with Malfoy. Not exactly the place I wanted to be. I tried to brush by him and leave, but before I could grab the trap door handle, he had grabbed my wrists, smirking at my red face.

"Malfoy, just let me go," I whispered, not wanting to get into an argument. He didn't listen. He pulled me over to a beanbag, and sat down in the one next to mine.

"Just stay here for ten minutes," he said.

"Why?"

"Because we haven't gotten much alone time today, and I want to ask you about that train ride."

"Listen, I don't remember what I was dreaming about, so just drop it."

"Not that easy Weasley."

"Malfoy, if I stay here for ten minutes, without complaining, can we just _not talk to each other?_ I need some quiet time."

He considered this, and finally reached his hand out for mine.

"Deal," he said, and we shook.

I got up, and went to the radio. I turned it on to the same muggle station I had before, sat in my beanbag, and closed my eyes, relaxing. I felt something else shift in my beanbag, and opened my eyes to see that Malfoy had come to sit next to me. I opened my mouth to yell at him, and he held a finger up to his perfect mouth, reminding me that we weren't supposed to talk. I could see the mocking in his eyes. Refusing to move from my spot, I just sat there with my eyes closed, trying to ignore Malfoy's hand that hand eventually woven its way around my waist.

After a few minutes, a song came on that I actually recognized, and I began to softly sing along to the lyrics.

_Every night I walked the streets_

_Never dreaming what could happen_

_Sad and so lonely _

_I saw in the mirror my reflection_

_Staring back at me_

_I thought, will I ever find what I need?_

_But I'll wear that dress if you wear the tie_

_And baby we'll dance through the night_

_Cuz no one's got what we've got going_

_Happiness never held on to me_

_Until you had me see_

_That together we're just better off_

While I sang, Malfoy watched me in fascination. I was singing the female part of the song. When the male part started, I was alarmed that Malfoy started singing. How did he know muggle songs?

_Oh my heart's been tried_

_Time and again_

_Always thought that it was me but_

_I see now just how wrong I was_

_No, I haven't known you for a lifetime_

_But somehow I've never been more sure that you're for me_

_Baby please_

_Don't leave, just come and dance with me tonight_

He smirked at my shocked face, and I joined with him for the chorus. My face was till confused.

_But I'll wear that dress if you wear the tie_

_And baby we'll dance through the night_

_Cuz no one's got what we've got going_

_Happiness never held on to me_

_Until you had me see_

_That together we're just better off_

He turned to look me in the eye, and I looked away, blushing, as he sang:

_Don't be cruel to me_

_Oh, I've wanted more_

_But I've been wrong before_

And I sang the next lines:

_So much learning to lose_

_But you're not a day too soon_

_So say you feel the same and_

_We'll never be lonely anymore_

And we joined together to sing the chorus a few more times. When the song was over, I looked him straight in the eye.

"How do you know that song?"

"I'm not allowed to know muggle songs?"

"No, you're not."

"Well, I actually am, and I like that song."

"But it's supposed to be romantic!"

"I think that our singing together was also."

"No, because now, every time I here that song, I'll think about you, and you are in no way romantic."

"How nice, now we have our own song."

"What happened to not talking?"

"You did it first."

I glared, but knew he was right.

"Don't sing with me, okay? Ever."

"You have an excellent voice."

"_Malfoy!"_

"No, I won't promise that. Anyways, if you really wanted to stop singing with me, you would've turned off the music, or not sang along."

Instead of responding, I just got up, opened the trap door, and walked down tons of stairs so that I reached James' room. I walked in, and saw the rest of my team, which they had just picked. It was Fred, James, Lily, Molly, Vicky, Teddy, and I. This meant that the other team had Al, Hugo, Malfoy, Louis, Dominique, Roxy, and Lucy.

"Just in time Rosie!" Fred cried happily, and patted a spot next to him, indicating that I should sit there.

"How was Malfoy?" Lily giggled.

"Fine," I said stiffly, remembering his voice. Why did he have to be so irritating, and have a voice like an angel at the same time? I was about to daze off, thinking about how our voices had harmonized together, but shook myself, coming back to earth.

"So, does anybody have good prank ideas?" Teddy asked.

"I thought you would never ask," Fred grinned. We all knew what a grin like that meant on Fred.

The other team was going down.

A/N What do you think? Review please? I'll love you forever.

That song that Rose and Scorp sang is my favorite right now, and I couldn't help but put it in. If you want to listen to it, you can at track/dress-and-tie-ft-darren-criss PLEASE LISTEN! It is an amazing song! Also, you probably want to know what tune that song was, so you HAVE to listen to it! Mwahaha. I just love that song so much.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

So Fred explained his plan to us. Everyone loved it. Everyone except me.

"Fred, there is no way in hell I am doing that!" I exclaimed.

"Rose! It's the only way for the plan to work. You're just gonna have to suck it up and do it!" Victoire told me patronizingly.

"Anyways, people were telling us, you already flirt with him all the time. Why should this be any different?" Molly asked me slyly. For being the daughter of Percy, she was surprisingly fun. Though, in this case, I really wished she would shut up.

"But there's a chance the adults could catch me! I really don't need that right now."

"Listen Rosie, I love you, and I know that you hate Malfoy, and he's a jerk, blah blah blah, but you have to do this for the prank to work," James said.

"Everyone knows that the Weasleys and Potters have a very short attention span," Lily explained. "They won't be on the watch for pranks that much. But Malfoy won't want you to be able to prove that you're as good as him, so he'll be watching our every move. But he also won't want to get behind on his bet, since the deadline is the end of the year, and he only have like six more months. Eventually he'll get you alone. You just have to act like you're embarrassed by it, and he'll keep talking to you, because, lets face it, he just loves making you feel uncomfortable. You can...'distract' him, and then we'll do the prank while he's distracted. You have to do this Rose!" Lily explained our whole plan, making it clear how important my role in it was.

I just looked at my family for a moment. They all looked so hopeful.

"Okay fine," I said, and they all cheered. "But...do I really have to snog him? Can't I just flirt?"

"The prank will take time to set up. You need to buy us as much time as you can. Snogging will distract him more," Teddy explained. How weird is it to have your professor encouraging you to kiss your enemy to win a game? Aren't they supposed to steer you toward smart choices?

"Fine," I grumbled, defeated.

The next day, neither group had struck. All of the grandchildren were in the living room, scattered around. Some were playing chess; some were gossiping, some were snogging (Vicky and Teddy), and other random stuff. Fred and I were sitting at a table, both our heads held close together in a quiet discusion.

"Hey, Malfoy is looking at you," Fred whispered.

"Why does that matter?"

"It could be our chance to do the prank!"

"Oh, right. Fuck. I can't believe you guys are making me do this."

"Consider it taking one for the team."

"You do realize that me 'taking one for the team' means that your little cousin will have her tongue down some guys throat for like fifteen minutes, don't you?"

Freds body stiffened a bit at the thought, but then relaxed.

"Sorry."

"Whatever. Lets just get this over with."

We both got up from our spots. Fred got up to go and casually tap on the shoulders of people in our group so that the others wouldn't notice.

I walked pointedly across the room, right by Malfoy, and winked at him while he watched me. I added extra movement to my walk, so that my hips moved out, but I made it look casual. I walked through a door into the kitchen. I hopped up on to the kitchen table, crossed my dainty and tiny legs, and gazed at the door, waiting for it to open. Sure enough, it did, and only took about 30 seconds.

"Hey Scorpy," I smiled seductively at him.

"Hey Rosie," He grinned back, and jumped up next to me.

"So, why did you follow me in here?" I asked innocently.

"Well, walking like that didn't leave me much of a choice," he said, sliding closer to me and placing his hand on my thigh. I defied all of my natural instincts, and didn't flinch. It wasn't actually as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe I just don't have many natural instincts.

"You know I- I really shouldn't say anything...' I muttered shyly, looking away from him.

"You what?" He asked me, smirking. I had to hide my giant grin. He thought that I was embarrassed. The plan might go very well.

"Promise not to make fun of me?" I whispered to him, scooting closer.

"Of course. You know you can trust me Rose."

"Well, its just that...I really don't know why I'm telling you this but...It took a lot of energy to not snog you this morning, when you came down for breakfast," I rushed the last part, pretending like I hoped he wouldn't hear. I blushed. Even though I was acting, I was actually thinking about how he had looked this morning, in his boxer shorts and no shirt on. That image was enough to make me blush.

My red face obviously helped my acting. He thought that I was red because I was embarrassed after telling him.

"Are you suggesting that I snog you?" He smirked.

"No! I just wanted to tell you because...It might be nicer if you just didn't wear that anymore, okay? It's distracting. Thats all I wanted to say." I made to get off of the table but he grabbed my wrists, just like I wanted him to. He was playing right into my hands.

"No, I think I'll keep wearing that," he breathed in my face.

"Malfoy, please stop it," I quietly begged him, hiding my smirk. I tried to pull my wrists away, but of course he didn't let go.

"No. You came in here to tell me that it was hard to keep yourself from snogging me. I think that you shouldn't be denied that pleasure."

And then he pressed his lips against mine. I refused to melt into the kiss, but I wanted him to think that I was. So, I let my body relax, and wrapped my hands around his back. I gently nudged my tongue against his teeth, and his mouth parted quickly. He pressed the rest of his body like that against me, and leaned me on to my back. His own torso was now on top of mine, thought our legs stayed about where they already were. He deepened the kiss, and I responded enthusiastically. I dared to open my eyes a bit, and saw that his were closed, focusing on nothing more that snogging me. I let my mouth smirk a bit.

Behind the door that led into the living room, I heard a few thuds. I smirked slightly wider, but he didn't seem to notice any disturbance from the other room. The prank was clearly moving along with success.

I moved my legs (which had previously been crossed) up so that they were wrapped around his, waist. I figured that since the prank was going well, I might as well enjoy myself. And I did. A lot.

We must have lain there, on top of my grandparent's table, for a good 15 minutes. Realizing that the prank was probably complete, I reluctantly allowed myself to break away from his mouth. He didn't move his body, and our faces were still mere inches apart. We both breathed heavily for a few moments, and then I spoke.

"Funny how someone you hate so much can be so hot," I whispered.

"You know that you don't actually hate me," he smirked back. "Nobody can kiss like that and not mean it."

"You're right."

"What?"

"You're right."

"About what?"

You're right about people not being able to kiss like that unless they mean it," I told him. His body moved up quickly, and he returned to his old sitting position. I straightened up, and got off of the table so that I was looking at him. I allowed myself to blush a little bit.

"So you're saying that you...you meant it?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Weasley, what are you on about?"

He was starting to sound kind of freaked out. Not so funny when someone says stuff like that to you, is it? I though happily. A taste of your own medicine is always nice, isn't it Malfoy?

"Well, I guess that I've just been getting a little bit of a crush on you lately," I muttered. He didn't smirk back. His jaw just dropped, and his eyes bulged out.

"You're joking, right?"

"Why would I joke about that?"

"Oh shit. Weasley, I wasn't really planning on you falling for me so quickly. I sort of just...um...don't know what to say right now."

He got up, and started pacing around he room.

So this is what its like to watch Scorpius Malfoy loose his coolness. Pretty satisfying.

"You don't have to say anything. But, I think that I have something I want to show you," I smiled at him shyly. He gave me a long confused look, and then walked over to me. The two of us made our way toward the door.

"I just can't believe you like me," he said, and reached for the door handle. He opened it, saw the living room, and his jaw dropped again. He looked down at me, and I grinned up at him.

"And I can't believe you fell for it!" I exclaimed happily, dropping my act, then bounding through the threshold to go stand by Lily. Everyone on my team was in the room, smirking toward Malfoy, while everyone else on his team was lying unconscious on the ground.

Malfoy gaped at us.

"What the hell did you do to them?"

"Well, since most of us are old enough, we just used Petrificus Totalus. They should be fine again in a few moments," Vicky grinned.

"But why would you do that?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah, why?" Hugo said. We all jumped, and turned to see that he was groggily getting up from the ground.

"So that we could get this pranking war going!" James yelled ecstatically.

"What did you do to us?" Al asked, also getting up from the ground.

"Oh, you'll see," Teddy smiled.

"Fine, but you do realize that we're going to get you back, don't you?" Louis said.

"Keep telling yourself that," I smirked. My voice seemed to remind Malfoy that I was there.

"But then does that mean...that you had been planning on snogging me?" He asked.

"Yup!" I smiled. "All part of the plan. It was supposed to distract you." I winked at him, "And it worked too."

Many of my teammates gave me high fives. Malfoy just gaped, and I just turned around, and walked right out of the room, smirking at how I knew Malfoy must be feeling. He had thought that I was starting to love him, and then realized it was all a joke. Serves him right for being such a git all the time. Right as I reached the staircase that led up to my room, and turned back to face everyone, who were watching me walk out.

"Oh, and I sincerely hope that you all love the color pink, considering it is now the only color that any of your clothing is!"

Yes, I know how much everyone was waiting to figure out what we did, and there it is! We turned all of their clothing pink, and there was no way to charm the pink off. It would simply wear off after about a week.

I heard Malfoy running up the stairs after me, but I reached my room, and slammed the door shut.

"Weasley, let me in!" He demanded.

"Yes?" I asked innocently, opening the door and smiling inwardly at his angry face. I knew he was about to try to convince me to change the cloths back.

"I meant what I said before," he said calmly. That threw me off. What was he talking about?

"What do you mean?"

"About nobody being able to kiss like that unless them meant it."

He turned to walk away.

"Wait Malfoy, come here."

He looked over his shoulder.

"Why?"

"I want to talk to you for a second."

"Fine."

I held the door to my open, and he sauntered by me. I caused Malfoy to show real emotion. I had embarrassed him! How was he confident again?

I closed the door, and turned around to see him making himself comfortable in my bed. No, you didn't read that wrong. I didn't say _on_ my bed, I said _in_ my bed. He moved awfully quickly. He had already climbed underneath my blankets.

I raised an eyebrow at him, with an are-you-really-doing-that look, which he purposefully ignored. Instead of causing an argument, I sat down at the foot of the bed, and he sat up so that we were looking eye to eye.

"You wanted something, Weasley?"

"Yeah. I wanted to know why you actually seemed to feel bad when I told you that I might be falling for you. Isn't that what you wanted? To make me love you, snog me, then leave me broken hearted? You never actually said it, but it seems like a Malfoy thing to do."

He just stared at me after I said that. Just stared, for at least a minute. That isn't a long time or anything, but when its just Malfoy staring and not saying a single word, it makes the time move in slow motion.

"Malfoy, you have to say something."

"That is part of why I made the bet."

"And the other part would be...?"

"I thought that it could be fun."

"What part would be fun?"

"The snogging, the embarrassing you, the look on the face of every guy in Hog- never mind."

_Did he just blush?_

"Malfoy, why would the look on the face of every guy at Hogwarts be fun? And what would making me fall in love with you have anything to do with that?"

"Umm..." This is the most uncomfortable I've ever seen him. "You actually don't see them?"

"The other guys in school? Um, yeah, I sort of see them every day." I said sarcastically.

"No! I mean the way they look at you!"

"Like 'Hey look, there goes Rose Weasley! She reads a lot'? I see them look at me like that a lot."

"If that's all you see, you have to get your head out of your books move often."

"I like having my head in books."

"Whatever Weasley. They don't look at you like that most of the time. It's mostly more of a 'Hey look there goes Rose Weasley. Wow, she's hot. Now she's leaning on a wall. What I wouldn't give to be pressing her up against that right now.'"

Naturally, I blushed.

"They don't look at me like that. Well, maybe you do, but-"

"I'm not even going to say that I don't! As annoying as you can be, I'm not gonna lie and say that you aren't attractive. But I'm not the only one who has noticed. I'd say that at least thirty other guys have, and that's a minimum."

"You think I'm attractive?" I smirked. Merlin, it felt good being the one who smirked at him instead of vice versa.

"Yeah, so? You think I am too."

"I told you that a long time ago. This is the first time you've said that to me, and it wasn't because you were trying to flirt."

"How do you know that I wasn't trying to flirt?"

"You aren't that good of an actor Scorpius."

"Ha! And that's the first time you've called me Scorpius without trying flirt!"

"How do you know I wasn't trying to flirt?"

"You aren't that good of an actress Rose."

"Oh, shut up."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. He started playing with his hair, and I, catching the smell of his shampoo, tried to make it look like I wasn't trying to smell his head. I actually don't think he noticed me. First time for everything, I guess.

"I think I should go Rose," he said after a while.

'Okay," I said, and got off the bed. He got out of it, and walked to the door, then turned around, looking hesitant and nervous.

"Do you think that we could call each other Rose and Scorpius for the rest of this holiday?"

"You remember that we are on opposite teams, don't you? We can't get that friendly."

Oh right. Well, I'll leave."

"Okay, enjoy the pink clothes.'

'Sure thing," he mumbled over his shoulder, sounding distracted.

Merlin, I will never be able to figure him out.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next day, I woke up early. I put a jacket over my pajama top, since we don't have much heating in the Burrow. I walked out of my room, careful not to wake my sleeping cousins (we had separated where we slept by team, so that nobody could be pranked during the night), and make my way down the narrow staircase. When I arrived in the kitchen, my eyes could barely believe themselves. The only two other people up were my grandmother and Malfoy. The two of them sat at the kitchen table, and it seemed as though Nana Molly had just told a good joke, as Malfoy was laughing really hard. There it was again, his real laugh. So. Attractive.

"Speak of the devil, Rosie!" Nana Molly exclaimed as soon as she saw me standing in the threshold of the kitchen.

"You were talking about me?" I asked them absent mindedly, walking around to prepare myself a cup of tea.

"Oh yes, your grandmother was just telling me some funny stories about you when you were younger," Malfoy sad casually, though I could here the amusement in his voice. I turned around, and glared at Nana.

"What did you tell him?"

Just a few stories here and there that I thought he'd find entertaining," she replied, obviously not noticing the glares and smirks now being exchanged between Malfoy and I. "Rosie, what time is it now?" she asked, and I checked a clock.

"8:30."

"What? We have to get breakfast ready, and we aren't going to do that by ourselves! I'll go wake up some more people; the two of you start chopping the fruit for the fruit salad. And," she looked at us hard in the eyes, "I don't care if you are almost 17, you will not use magic. Understand?"

We both nodded, knowing that crossing Nana Wealsey as the last thing anybody wanted to do. She left to get more helpers, and Malfoy and I turned to look at each other. The fact that we were alone in the kitchen again didn't go unnoticed by either of us, but we ignored it. I walked over to the refrigerator and took out all of the fruit. I placed it on two large cutting boards, and set to work, followed by Malfoy. We worked in silence, with our arms brushing each other occasionally. More family members slowly started filing into the room, muttered good mornings while stifling yawns, and set to work on whatever Nana Molly gave them. They all started quiet conversations, which was apparently Malfoy's cue to start one with me.

"So, you used to run around the house naked?"

"You need some lessons with conversation starters," I sighed.

"Did you? Mrs. Weasley said that-"

"I have no interest in that this early in the morning, and I have no recollection of running around naked, but my family says that I did, so sure, I did."

"I don't think that it's fair that I got to miss that," he smiled evilly.

"Really not in the mood Malfoy."

"Fine, fine," he sighed dramatically.

"Like your pink boxers, by the way," I smiled.

"Yeah, I decided to dress just like you told me to."

"You do realize that I was making all of it up to distract you?"

"Just because you needed to distract me doesn't mean that you lied about that."

Our elbows bumped together again, this time causing me to push some strawberries off my cutting board. We both leaned down to get them at the exact same moment, and our heads hit hard against each other.

"Ow!" we both shouted.

"Are you alright?" Nana asked frantically, examining both of our heads.

"Yeah, fine," we mumbled.

"Wow, that was the classic romantic moment were you both go down to get the same thing and end up running into each other," Lily laughed. I stared frantically at her, as if warning her to not bring up anything romantic about Scorpius and I. I really didn't need his smirk right now. I hate being set to work right after I wake up. Everyone in the room noticed the look, including Malfoy.

"Are you alright?" Malfoy asked, fake concern dripping from his voice. He walked over to me and took my head in his hands so he could look at it. Because of our height difference, this caused his lips to become perfectly even with my eyes, and it was as if I couldn't look anywhere else. His lips were smirking of course. No doubt, he had positioned himself so that this exact thing would happen. He released my head, and whispered without moving, "Nope, seems fine." His breath landed on my face, considering he was just a few inches away. When he did move his head, I couldn't stop looking at his lips. Even though I knew that practically my whole family was watching, I didn't care. His breath was minty fresh, and there was nothing that I wouldn't give to be biting lightly on his bottom lip-

"Weasley?"

"Hmm?"

"What is so fascinating about my mouth?"

"Nothing."

"Well then why can't you stop staring at it?"

"I'm not," I mumbled, then realized that I was. I quickly jerked my gaze away. "I'm not," I repeated, sounding surer of myself.

"You two seem like you might've hit your heads a little two hard. You would normally be screaming already," Nana said. "How about you go and de-gnome the garden? Get a little fresh air."

"Nana, I'm fine. And I don't need to spend any more time with him than I did yesterday."

"You two were only together in the morning," Nana pointed out.

"Yeah but..." I thought quickly, "Any time with him is a waste of time."

Uncle George took this moment to interrupt.

"Rosie, we need a gnome to go on top of the tree! It's tradition!"

"Can't Malfoy do it?" I whined, realizing that I must sound pretty pathetic.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets one for the tree," Malfoy laughed, and grabbed my hand, forcing me upstairs.

"We have too change, it's freezing out, but meet me out there in ten minutes, okay?" Malfoy asked, though it wasn't a question. It was a command.

"Why did you hold my hand in front of them?" I whined again.

"Don't worry, nobody noticed...except maybe your dad..."

"WHAT?"

"Ten minutes Rosie, meet me outside."

And he just walked off. I glared at his back, and then turned around and slammed my door behind me.

I decided that if Malfoy was going to make me go outside on a freezing day, I could at least make him regret it. I put on a tight tee shirt and skinny jeans, something I was sure he would notice if he really does watch me as much as he says he does. Then, I got things like a winter coat, mittens, a hat, scarf, etc. I carried these things out and down the stairs so that I would put them on at the door. I merely stood there for a few moments, waiting to hear Malfoy's footsteps. The moment I heard them, I started to put on all of my winter gear, so that when Malfoy finally reached the door with me, I had on only my tight clothing, a scarf, and my hat. I was about to reach for the mittens, when I felt him standing very close to me. So, I leaned up and looked him right in the eye.

"Is there something wrong, Malfoy?" I asked innocently. His eyes were surveying my body closely. It was satisfying, seeing him dressed in all pink.

"Yeah, actually there is," he informed me, not sounding embarrassed.

"What is it?" I asked, taking a step closer to him. We were now only a few inches apart. Instead of making me look up at him, he kindly knelt so that we were eye to eye. Yep. Malfoy did something kind!

Before Malfoy had time to give me an answer, the door to the kitchen swung open, and Al, Lily, and Fred walked out. Malfoy and I sprang apart quickly, and I leaned down to get my mittens, looking like that was what I was doing the whole time. None of them noticed how close we had been, because they had been turned toward each other, having a discussion. They did, however, notice the guilty look on both of our faces, and the fact that Malfoy's eyes were still on me.

"Hey, Scorpius, what's so interesting about Rosie's chest?" Fred asked loudly. My face turned red, as did Malfoy's.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "We were just going to de-gnome, so I guess we'll see you guys later."

And with that, he grabbed my arm (while I was still trying to zip up my coat), and dragged me out of the house.

"Help! I've been taken hostage!" I yelled to the three that were standing there. I was smiling, and truthfully, it was kind of fun to pretend to be gripping to the side of the door while Malfoy dragged me off. They merely looked at me with awe and disbelief. Malfoy laughed, and closed the door.

"Why did they look so shocked?" I asked him.

"Probably because you were acting like you were having fun with me."

"But I wasn't."

"I think you were Weasley."

"Proves how well you know me."

"I know you really well, Weasley."

"You don't, if you think that was fun."

We kept bickering, as we made our way down to the yard.

"Alright, lets just do this. Have you ever de-gnomed a garden?"

"No."

"No?"

"Normally our house elf does stuff like that."

"Well, we don't have a house elf."

"Alright, so how do you do it?"

I leaned down, grabbed a gnome, swung it around a few times, and then chucked it over the fence.

"Seems simple enough."

"Just don't let them bite your hand. It hurts like hell," I informed him. "And always aim over the fence. That way, it's harder for them to come back."

So, we set to work, throwing gnomes over the fence. We even had competitions to see who could throw them the furthest. Malfoy won, obviously, because he was so strong, but it was actually pretty close because I had so much experience. When we could only find one more, I preformed a full-body-bind spell on it, and brought in to George.

"Here you go!" I announced, plopping the frozen gnome in front of George.

"Thanks Rosie," he said, smiling.

"You two are just in time for breakfast!" Nana told us, placing the last dish of food on the table. Everyone gathered around, and I somehow got stuck sitting between my father and Malfoy. The world officially hates me. As we sat down, I threw a warning glace at Malfoy, which he pretended not to notice.

"Okay everyone, dig in!" My grandfather said. I quickly reached for the big plate of waffles, and placed four on my plate. I offered the platter to my father, who declined, and then placed it down. Right as I was reaching for the syrup, Malfoy came to irritate me again.

"You didn't ask if I wanted waffles Rosie," he reminded me.

"_Rosie?" _My dad asked sharply. " Since when do you call her Rosie?"

"Just this year," Malfoy assured him, and turned his attention back to me. "So, would you offer me the waffles?"

"Want any waffles Malfoy?"

"No, I don't but thank you for asking."

"Oh, shut up."

"What happened this year? You seem much nicer to each other than before," dad commented. It also happened to be one of those awkward moments were everyone went silent all at once, so everyone at the table heard him. Thankfully, before I had to respond, Hugo, of all people, jumped in and saved me.

He snorted right as he was taking a sip of juice, spraying it all over. Still laughing, he said " Malfoy and Rosie? Nice to each other? Ha! I'd pay to see that!"

"Lils? Al? You two haven't noticed anything?" Aunt Ginny asked them, and they both shook their heads.

"Of course, we don't see them all the time," Hugo added, winking at me secretly, and I silently groaned. "After all, they have every class together, have to do rounds together, and the fact that they share a room-"

"WHAT?" Dad shouted, and I quickly tried to fix the damage Hugo made.

"No, we don't share a room! We share a common room, and a bathroom, but we sleep in separate-"

"Why didn't you owl us, telling us who got Head Boy?" Dad fumed.

"I...didn't think it was important," I said weakly.

"So, from the sounds of it, you two are with each other almost all the time," Harry added.

"Not really helping," I whispered across the table to him. He just winked back, looking knowingly between Malfoy and I. Was it possible that Harry wasn't as oblivious as the other adults? Dad seemed to not hear my comment.

"So, you spend that much time together, and still hate each other?" Dad asked in disbelief.

"No, not exactly, but we aren't friends either," I started to mumble but Malfoy took over.

"Actually, we are sort of friends. We still argue, but we sort of enjoy each other's company. Well, at least, I enjoy hers."

"What the hell does that mean Malfoy?" Dad asked menacingly.

"Well, I guess we should start from the beginning. You see, on the first day of school, I made a bet with her," I felt my eyes get wide, and, without thinking, and grabbed Malfoy's arm.

"Malfoy!" I shouted, but he ignored me.

"Anyways, I bet her that she would fall in love with me by the end of the year."

Malfoy smirked at the faces of everyone at the table. All the kids put their heads in their hands, all the adults looked ready to feint, Harry just looked smug (I knew he had noticed something), and I looked as though I was preparing for death. Mom was the first to speak.

"So...you...haven't won the bet yet?"

"Nope, but give it time," Malfoy smiled.

"Malfoy. You. Are. Exactly. Like. Your. Father. And. If. I. Find. Out. That. You. Have. Done. Anything. To. My. Daughter. I. Guarantee. You. It. Will. Be. The. Last. Thing. You. Ever. Do." Dad pronounced every word clearly, while he was shaking from anger.

"Ron, he's not like Draco," Harry reasoned. "He's funny, and sometimes nice, and smart, and-"

"GREAT! Let some idiot Slytherin get all of that! Just stay away from Rosie!" Dad shouted.

"Ron, think about how this might make him feel," Ginny put in. "Don't you remember how scared you were when you met Hermione's parents?"

"That was totally different on so many levels. One, he's met us before. Two, I wasn't cocky or arrogant. Three, I went there to meet them, not because my friend invited me over. Four, I was in love with their daughter!" Dad finished his list loudly. I noticed that Malfoy looked slightly embarrassed at the fourth reason, but assumed that it didn't mean anything.

"They're young! Let them make their own decisions! It's not like she's actually going to fall in love with him! After this year, they'll never see each other again!" Ginny shouted.

"I told you to keep them away from each other!" Dad practically screamed, pointing at Al, who shrunk back into his chair. I realized that Hugo, who had been sitting next to Al, was no longer there. At the exact moment I realized this, Hugo came walking though the door. The moment Malfoy saw him, he spoke again.

"I made it up!" he shouted to the rest of the table, then nodded toward Hugo, just sitting down. "We needed to have enough time so that we could prank the other team, and came up with me telling you that we had some bet going."

"What?" Dad asked, sounding aghast.

"I would never make a bet like that with Weasley! Didn't you notice how she, Lily, and Al never actually confirmed what I was saying? They kept trying to interrupt, but you kept yelling, which was the perfect diversion!"

"So...you're saying that there is no bet?" Dad confirmed.

"Yep!" Everyone on the opposite team shouted.

Dad just looked at them all, dumbfounded, for a few moments. I was holding my breath, hoping that he believed. Finally, he nodded, and turned back toward his food, along with the other adults. Our attention then turned to the other team.

"So what did you do?" Lily groaned.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see!" Al grinned.

All of the kids practically swallowed their food whole.

"May we be excused?" I asked Nana, still with a mouthful of sausage. "We want to see what they did to us."

"Fine, just make sure you've eaten enough!"

With that, all of our team went sprinting up the stairs, closely followed by the other team, who must want to see our reaction. As I was running, Malfoy caught up to me.

"Saved your ass, didn't I?" He smirked.

"Oh, fuck off," I mumbled.

We reached our teams room, and we all went in, trying to find what their prank was. As soon as we were all in the room, we heard it slam shut behind us. As we all turned around, we saw that the door had been locked, and heard all of them laughing from the hallway outside.

"You do realize that we can just unlock it with our wands?" James yelled through the door.

"Okay, try that!" Hugo yelled back. We all went to our respective bedside tables to get our wands, and realized that none of them were there.

"Looking for something?" Lucy shouted through the door, which caused all of them to start laughing again.

"So basically, when Hugo came up here, he just took our wand so that as soon as we came in here, you could lock us in and we couldn't get out?" I asked, confirming my suspicion.

"Wow, good job Weasley!" Malfoy said sarcastically.

"So, what do we have to do to get out?" Victoire asked.

"We haven't actually decided yet, but we'll let you know. C'mon, team meeting!" Roxy announced, and we heard them walking off to their bedroom.

"Whatever, they'll let us out pretty soon, and even if we have to do something embarrassing, we can get them back for it," I reasoned. Everyone agreed, and sat down in their beds, waiting for the others to return.

**A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update! I've been sick of writing, and have just been reading fanfiction lately, but finally came back to this, realized how much I missed it, and have been writing nonstop! Hope you like this chapter! 14 will be up soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It seems that they knew we would assume that they would come back quickly, so they purposefully did just the opposite. We were still in our room five hours later. James, Fred, and Lily were starting to get very irritating with their complaints about how hungry they were. It came as a huge relief when we heard footsteps outside our door.

"Want to be let out yet?" Came Malfoy's smug voice.

"What do we need to do?" Lily whined. She didn't do well with hunger. Neither did I, actually, but I was sucking it up.

"Well, you have quite a few options, you just need to pick one of them," Dominique informed us.

"Fine. What are our options?" Teddy groaned.

"We wrote a list," Al told us, and a small piece of paper was slipped under the door. I picked it up, and read all the options off to my teammates.

_Tell the adults Malfoy wasn't actually joking about the bet._

_Be our slaves for the rest of the day, and refer to us as 'My Lady' of 'My Lord' depending on gender._

_Rose snogs Malfoy in front of the adults._

_Turn our clothes back to their normal color._

_All of the above._

I looked up at the rest of my team.

"Alright, well, we aren't doing 5," Molly ruled out.

"Or 1 or 3," I added, and I could hear Malfoy quietly laughing.

"And 2 sounds beyond humiliating!" Teddy put in.

"But we can't do number 4! It took a lot of energy to turn all of their clothes pink, and Rosie will have snogged Malfoy for nothing if we do!" James pointed out.

"But if we don't do 4, we have to do 2. I don't want to be their slave!" Lily said.

"Well, we're only their slave for the rest of the day," Fred pointed out.

"But I don't want to have to call Malfoy 'My Lord'," I groaned.

"Guys, it'll be humiliating, but think about how funny it'll be at the New Years party if they're all wearing pink!" James said. Lily and Molly giggled at the idea.

"Fine! We choose 2!" I shouted through the door.

"Excellent! Now, there was one thing we forgot to add about that one," Al said slyly.

"Yeah, we forgot to put down that you aren't all of our slaves, you're each individually one of ours," Hugo put in. I could feel my heart beating rapidly.

"And we've already decided who is the slave for each person," Lucy said. "James, you're Al's-"

"I can't be my little brothers slave!" James said indignantly.

"But you are, so just listen," Al said rudely.

"As I was saying, James is Al's, Fred is Roxy's, Lily is mine, Molly is Louis', Vicky is Dominique's, Teddy is Hugo's...and that only leaves two..." Lucy's voice of voice changed when she said it, and I could tell there was something bad. I hadn't actually been listening to the pairings, so I looked up at my other teammates.

"Wait, who's left?" I asked.

They all looked at me with such a pitying expression, that I really didn't need them to tell me.

"I got Malfoy, didn't I?" They all nodded their heads, and I heard everyone outside the door laughing.

"So, do we have a deal?" Roxy asked.

"Just today, right?" James confirmed.

"Yep!"

"Do we get our wands back?" Molly asked.

"No, nothing that we'll ask of you will need magic," Louis said, "You'll get them back at the end of the day."

"Fine, we have a deal," Fred sighed. With that, someone unlocked the door, and everyone filed out of the room, going to their respective people. I didn't move. When everyone was gone, Malfoy came to the door, and looked at me, sitting on my bed.

"Get up Weasley."

"No, Malfoy."

"Actually, my lord," he reminded me.

"I'm not calling you my lord."

"Yes, you are, because it was part of the deal." I glared at him, but knew he was right. If there was anything more humiliating than being pranked, it was being pranked and not being able to handle the prank, and have people mocking you because of that. I grudgingly got up, off of my spot on my bed.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

He took my arm and started dragging me downstairs.

"Well, I want you to get me a hot chocolate, and yourself one, if you want, and then go on a walk with me outside."

"Malf- My lord," I said through gritted teeth," You have to be kidding! It is absolutely freezing outs-"

"That was an order," he interrupted. I threw him one last glare, and then stalked off into the kitchen. When I returned, I was carrying two mugs of steaming hot chocolate, and handed one to him.

"Alright, let's go," he said, and we took our drinks outside.

"Where did you want to walk?" I asked, shivering slightly, and holding my cup right on my hands to warm me up.

"Let's just go out to the fields."

"Fine."

We walked in silence until we passed the fence, and then he started talking.

"So, what are five things you like about me?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, c'mon, I know that's a lie! Just five things."

"I'm not answering your stupid question Mal- my lord."

"Slaves do whatever someone tells them to do, and I'm telling you to name five things that you like about me. Real things too, not just whatever you think I want to hear."

"I really hate you. Okay, one, I like your hair. Two, I like how you look with your shirt off. Three, I like how your laugh sounds when you aren't being mean, but your genuine laugh. Four, I like how you really listen when I talk, even if it is just for the bet. Five, I like how good of a kisser you are. Six, I like how- wait, I was only supposed to do five!"

"You listed all of those off pretty quickly, and seemed to have more. Why would that be?" He teased.

"Yeah, six was going to be how irritating you are though, so it doesn't really count," I said quickly. In reality, the inside of my head was buzzing. I was about to say that I liked how he was so smart and funny. What had come over me? The scariest part was that I actually did like that about him. When had that happened? Since when had Malfoy been smart and funny?

I glanced up at him while we walked, and saw him smirking. I felt my face turn red as I noticed how close our hands were. I jerked mine away, and he seemed to notice. He grabbed it, and refused to let go, no matter how hard I tried to pull away.

"Okay, Weasley, whatever you say," he said, winking down at me. "So, do you have a diary?"

I snorted. "Of course not! I haven't had one since I was 6. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was thinking about making you give it to me if you had one."

"Why, what did you think I'd have written in there?"

"I don't know, that's why I wanted to read it. Oh! I command you to start one! I won't even make you give it to me today; I'll make you give it to me when I win the bet. That can be one of the ten favors you owe me."

"Seriously? I have to start a diary, make only one entry in it, and then give it to you if I fall in love with you?"

"Yup! When we get back to the Burrow, you can write."

"Fine."

The two of us walked around a bit more, and headed in when we ran out of hot chocolate. Malfoy handed me a quill, and a piece of paper folded in half. I glared at him, and then set off to my room to write in my 'diary'. I still didn't get the point of doing this, but I figured that he would never read it, so I might as well put my true feelings in it.

I snuggled into my bed, used a book as a hard surface to write on, and began.

_Dear Diary,_

_Malfoy is a git and is making me write this. He's promised that he won't read it until I fall in love with him. We both know that's not going to happen. So anyways...I feel sort of like I'm talking to myself, but oh well. Here goes nothing._

_Malfoy's team pranked us, so now I'm his slave for the day. So much fun (sarcasm). Earlier he asked me for 5 things I liked about him. I really don't know what happened. I thought it would be really hard to come up with more than one, but somehow, I rattled off five without even thinking, and was about to do a sixth before I stopped myself! Even worse, the sixth was going to be that I thought he was smart and funny. Malfoy. Smart and funny. Those words just don't go together! Looking back on it though, I actually think its true. _

_Malfoy has really changed this year. I've come to terms with the fact that he's hot, but I don't think I can handle thinking of him as a good person. I don't even really want to be friends with him, and I'm certain that if I ever called him a 'close' friend, I'd have a heart attack. But, if nobody ever really reads this, I might as well say it: Every time I'm with him I blush. I can hardly stop staring at him. I really think that he might be a smart, funny, and (occasionally) nice guy. When I snogged him so that we could prank his team, he said that nobody could kiss like that and not mean it, and it may be true. As much as it freaks me out to say, I'm starting to get a little crush on him. I don't even understand why, though! You're supposed to like someone who will be nice to you and like you back. Malfoy would never do either of those things. Maybe it is just a phase. God, I hope it is. Now that I've admitted I have a crush on him, I doubt I'll be able to look him in the eye. _

_Don't get me wrong, I still hate him. But can't you like and hate someone at the same time?_

_Sincerely,_

_A Very Confused Rose Weasley_

_P.S. Is it supposed to be that attractive when someone smirks?_

I took my makeshift diary, and folded it up it my pocket. I walked out of the room, and was greeted by Malfoy leaning up against the wall.

"You know, I'm starting to understand why I was sorted into Slytherin," he said slowly.

"I already knew why! It is because you're a conceded, pompous-"

"It's because I seem to go back on promises a lot," he told me, as though I hadn't spoken. Then he turned his head to look at me, that smirk back on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, slowly backing into my room again.

"Diary, please," he grinned, holding his hand out expectantly.

"No! You promised that you would only read it if I lost the bet."

He took a step toward me, so we were only a few centimeters apart.

"And I am now going back on that promise. Hand it over."

"Mal- My lord, please, please please please please don't. There really isn't anything it there that would interest you-"

"Well then it shouldn't matter if I read it."

"It would be a waste of time."

"Nothing that relates you could waste my time," he breathed on my face. I had backed up so far that I was pressed against the back wall of my room, but he was still right in front of me. I turned red, looked down at my feet, and didn't say anything.

"Weasley, you are my slave, I am your master, and I am commanding that you give me the diary."

Reluctantly, I took the piece of paper out of my pocket and handed it to him. I could feel my heart hammering, and, the moment he unfolded it, I made a run for it. I sprinted out of the room, down the stairs, and out into the front yard. I sat down on a bench, and took some deep breaths.

_In just a few moments, he would come out that door. And he would know. He would know that I actually like him. He would never let me live it down._ Maybe yesterday, he hadn't been prepared to deal with my feelings, and had lost his normal coolness. But today, I knew that he wouldn't lose anything. I'd just have to put up with being mercilessly teased by him for the rest of this year.

I saw him walk out of the front door, glance around the yard, spot me, and come sauntering over. He sat down next to me, much closer than was necessary. Even though he knew, it didn't change my feelings. My face still went red. My heart was still going a mile a minute, merely because he was so close to me.

"You think that my smirk is attractive?" I stared at him in disbelief, of course to see that he was smirking.

"You're really going to start with that?"

"Thought that I'd start you off easy."

"I appreciate that."

"Knew you would."

"Could you just not talk about anything else I wrote in there?"

"Nope."

"God, you are such a jerk!"

"A jerk that you have a crush on," he reminded me.

"I hadn't really admitted it to myself until I was writing it, but when I did...it felt right, you know?"

"Yeah, I do."

"No, you don't, but thanks for making me feel less stupid."

"Any time. So, how long do you think you've liked me?"

"I don't know. I realized it about five minutes ago."

"Ah. Right. So...should we go inside?"

"Yeah, sure. Am I still you're slave?"

"Like me or not, I'm not letting you off from that! You're still my slave for the next eight hours."

I groaned, and, for the first time, looked him in the eye.

"Nothing changes, right? I still hate you."

"And I still love embarrassing you. Yeah, nothing changes," he assured me.

"You're being uncharacteristically nice."

"Bound to happen at some point."

**-2 hours later-**

"Alright Weasley, feed me."

"Mal-my lord, you're completely capable of feeding yourself."

"Yes, but you are my slave, and have to do what I tell you to do."

It was now dinner, and Malfoy and I were bickering as usual. If I hadn't been there when he read the diary, I wouldn't have thought that anything had changed between us. In fact, it almost felt like it hadn't changed.

Everyone around the table was either in small conversations (most of the adults), or watching Malfoy and I with interest (all of the kids and Uncle Harry).

Before I had to interject my opinion on the subject, Harry saved me.

"Rosie, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure."

"...In private."

"Oh! Yeah, fine."

I got out of my chair quickly, and followed my uncle into the living room. When the door closed behind us, he stared at it for a moment, then proceeded to walk to the door that led outside, and hold it open. I walked through slowly, unclear as to why he needed to talk to me outside.

"Let's go for a walk Rose."

"Okay..." As we walked, he started speaking.

"Just so you know, we're walking outside so that nobody overhears this. Information gets spread around this family like wildfire." I nodded my head in agreement. "Now Rose, your father still thinks of you as a child. He barely understands that you're old enough to be going to Hogwarts, let alone interested in boys."

" Uncle Harry, we really don't need to have this conversation-"

"Yes, we do. You and Scorpius are a lot closer than you used to be, and as an uncle, this is my responsibility. You're practically like a daughter to me, but I'm not as blinded as Ron-"

"You know that Lily is interested in guys too, don't you?"

"Rosie, don't change the subject. I've seen how you used to look at him, and I see how you look at him now. Rose, look me in the eye and tell me that you don't like him even a little bit."

I turned to my uncle, and looked straight into his green eyes. I took a breath to tell him just that, but realized that I couldn't lie to him. I let the breath out and kept walking.

"That's what I thought. Anyways, I can see that he's a much better man than his father, but unfortunately, in your fathers eyes, he's still a Malfoy."

"I barely even like him, and I would never act on it if I did."

"Your arguing really sounds like bickering now. You sort of sound like..."

"...Yes?"

"Like Ron and Hermione when they were younger."

"But didn't it take them until the end of seventh year to snog?"

"Yes...why?"

"It's just that Malfoy and I already...never mind," I stopped myself, realizing what information I may have been about to reveal. Harry just smiled knowingly at me, and continued his speech.

"Well, I don't hold the grudge against his family like Ron does, so I just wanted to tell you that I'm fine with...whatever it is that's going on between you two. But I should tell you to tone it down a little bit. The chemistry between you might even make Ron realize something's up."

"Oh, thanks for the warning."

"Any time Rosie. And, I told you that I'm okay with whatever you two have going on, but please don't feed him. It's what Ginny used to do for me when I was in sixth year, and I don't want to think about you doing what we did at that age...never mind."

I gave him the same knowing look that he gave me just moments before, but didn't talk about it.

"Okay. Now, lets get inside before we freeze," I said, shivering. He wrapped his arms protectively around me, and walked me back toward the Burrow. He stopped me when we reached the steps leading to the front porch.

"That bet wasn't made up, was it?"

I opened my mouth to lie again, but figured that it wasn't worth it. "No, it wasn't."

Harry just smiled, and opened the door for me.


	15. AN: GOOD NEWS, I PROMISE!

**AN: HOLY JESUS IT'S BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME SINCE I'VE UPDATED, AND THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW SORRY I REALL REALLY AM. I know I can't excuse myself for not updating for this long, but I've actually tried to write the next chapter at least five times, all of which ended up sucking, so I deleted them. So, even though I know you al hate me and I kinda hate myself for this, I would like all of you lovely people who have continued to support this story and left tons of reviews motivating me to keep writing to help me decide where to take this story! I don't need full-sale plans that'll determine the whole plot of the story or anything, I just need a little plot point suggestion that'll tell me where to go from here. **

**Anyways, as I said, I am so so so so so so sorry about the huge delay! But if you all get in a suggestion or two, I'm hoping to have it updated fairly soon. :)))) **

**All my love an all my deepest apologies, **

**CSOncer**


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